The Love of Shield Knight
by GenericDude
Summary: Prior to his adventures battling The Enchantress and the Order of No Quarter, Shovel Knight was a dutiful member of the Order of the Shovel, in service to Pridemoor Keep. Used to dealing with matters of justice and peace, this tale recounts Shovel Knight's first experiences dealing with matters of a different kind: the heart. Shovel/Shield Knight, some Shield/Black Knight also.
1. Chapter 1: The Orders

The Love of Shield Knight

Chapter 1: The Orders

"Time! That's enough!"

Sweat drenched me from my head to my feet, seeping its way through the tight seals of my armour and soaking all garments beneath. I panted and breathed heavily; my shovel felt as if it were a heavy lead weight in my hand. Sheer will alone kept me on my feet, when all other physical factor implored me to drop to the floor like a sack of rocks.

Standing opposite me, my foe seemed just as spent. His chest moved up and down with great speed, and his shovel hung limply from his left hand. His hunched back and his vocal breathing reassured me: we had both pushed each other to the limit.

"Shake hands"

Simultaneously, we dropped shovels and stepped towards each other wearily. I reached out my right hand; his metal gauntlet struck against mine with a heavy, momentum-filled clang.

"Well fought, Shovel Knight" my foe said to me through his black helmet.

"Well fought, Black Knight" I replied to him.

"And now salute"

We both turned to the origin of the voice, our Knight Commander, with his long greying beard and his intimidating, hulking frame. His great shovel was sheathed behind his winter furs.

"Thank you, Polar Knight" we both expressed in union. "For shovelry!"

* * *

The Order of the Shovel. It is a fine order, if I say so myself. Established many, many years ago, it was composed of a series of knights who believed the almighty shovel to be more than just a digging implement. What started as a humble, ambitious collective grew and grew in size and membership to this day, where we stand at around 500 knights in total.

The Order is not specifically established in one area, per say, but spread across the land in little contingents. We have leased buildings in cities where our affairs are organised, and the many castles in the realm kindly agree to house our knights. In return, The Order performs a number of tasks which both benefit their hosts, the villages they preside in and the realm.

So what is the purpose of the Order, you ask? Well, it's simple. There are many purposes that the Order of the Shovel seeks to fulfil. Primarily, it prides itself for being a force for justice in the world. To this end, every knight who seeks to take up a shovel and join the Order must vow to dedicate his/her life to justice and the retention of peace in the realm. This means answering the call for battle whenever evil or injustice is afoot.

However, when all is well in the realm, the Order takes a more mercenary role within the communities that host their knights. For example, a castle will agree to take on a number of knights from the Order in return for the following services: serving the kingdom's community and all settlements within its borders, serving the castle garrison in the case of attacks, and treasure hunting (because after all, shovels are useful for finding hidden treasure).

As such, despite some continued controversy about our choice of weapon, The Order of the Shovel establishes its reciprocal relationship with the realm. Our knights, including myself, are stalwart, fearless people. We are drivers of peace and justice, and our highly regarded reputation is well earned.

I am one of its proudest members.

Having recently finished my fifth year of service to the Order, I feel my life has found its greatest purpose. I feel most comfortable when my shovel is in my hand and my mind is set on righting the wrongs of the world. Whether that is fighting evildoers or bringing cheer to the local townsfolk with my jokes, I feel as if nothing can be better. And my current host kingdom, Pridemoor Keep, treats me well. Its king (whose name I never remember) pays us with due respect and hospitality, its citizens are full of life, and the nearby villages are always a treat to visit.

Despite this though, life was simple. Admittedly, I wouldn't have minded a little excitement. Do not mistake me; fighting/treasure hunting always carries a sense of excitement. But it did always feel the same, no matter how exhilarating. Occasionally, on duller days, I would walk around and wonder whether a different sort of challenge would present itself, one that would test me in new and interesting ways.

They sometimes say you should be careful what you wish for. In my case, my monotony was about to be broken when a new Order came into my life.

The Order of the Shield.

* * *

The Order of the Shield, according to the history books, was inspired by the Order of the Shovel. Based on the pursuit of justice using unusual weaponry, The Order of the Shield is much like my Order's younger sibling. It pursues the same causes of justice and aims to deliver the same service as the Order of the Shovel does. The key difference, however, is size. The Order of the Shield hasn't been around as long as the Order of the Shovel, and thus has only ever been established in towns and villages.

I have much respect for them, that much is true. Any collection of people who wish to pursue the path of peace, justice and prosperity will always gain my respect, and the respect of any good man or woman as well. Even though I will always see the shovel as the mightiest weapon of all, The Order of the Shield is inventive with their offensive style. So I've heard, anyhow. I'd never met or spoken with anyone from the Order before.

That was until yesterday. I had just completed a sparring session with my friend and knight-in-arms, Black Knight. As we were changing back into our service armour, I heard rumblings of new, interesting visitors coming to Pridemoor Keep…

 **So here it is, my third Shovel Knight story begins! This story isn't in canon with the other two stories that I have written for this series, 'Catch Her' and 'Shelter from the Storm'. However, it does borrow some ideas from them, just in case anything seems familiar. Hope you enjoy the story, more chapters soon and feedback is appreciated!**


	2. Chapter 2: Visitors

Chapter 2: Visitors

"Order of the Shield? Who are they?"

"I dunno, but I heard that they're coming to the keep tomorrow!"

"What for?"

"I dunno"

"You don't know much do you?"

"No…"

* * *

That was the conversation I happened to overhear when I was changing after my sparring session with Black Knight. My intrigue had been piqued: I had heard of the Order of the Shield before, but had never seen a member of its collection. It appeared tomorrow would be the day.

I didn't expect the news to have such an effect on me. All day as I wandered Pridemoor Keep on my daily patrol, my thoughts wandered to the Order of the Shield. Just exactly _how_ does one fight with a tool used for defence? I mean, shovels aren't exactly what people call a weapon but my Order at least managed to make great use from it! But shields? My mind sat at once in disbelief and intrigue at the prospect of watching someone fight with a shield. Even as I lay in bed that night, sleepless from the curiosity, my mind filled with unanswerable questions. Are shields hard to fight with? Are shield popular to fight with? Are they as good as shovels?

No, shovels are the best. Nothing can defeat the almighty shovel.

Despite my sleeplessness, the following day came quickly. Not so surprisingly, all the knights within the keep, including those aligned with the Order of the Shovel, were summoned to the throne room by King…er…the King, to greet the Order of the Shield. This included myself.

After donning my armour, I made my way to the throne room, a long, well decorated hall deep within Pridemoor Keep. I didn't expect the place to be so busy, so you can imagine my surprise when I arrived; the room was filled with a variety of different people and noises, all chattering away, with loud, commanding voices amongst the lot trying to organise the maddening crowd. I had been summoned to find Polar Knight, my Knight Commander and leader of the contingent at Pridemoor Keep. Amidst the sea of moving people that stood before me, that was going to be a tough task. In one corner, musicians armed with their long trumpets rehearsed the opening fanfare. Knights ran around like headless chickens, trying to figure out where they had to stand for the greeting ceremony. The maids and servants ran with the same speed, unsure of where they needed to be and what service needed carrying out prior to the ceremony.

Amidst this, I spotted Polar Knight's unmistakable helmet sticking out amongst all the heads in the crowd and pushed my way through to him. As I approached him, he noticed my appearance and looked down at me.

"Shovel Knight!" he called to me as he spotted me. I pushed my way through the last line of busy people and stood face to face with him.

"Present sir!" I called to him, giving a quick salute. Polar Knight was visibly annoyed with the lack of organisation around him. I quickly glanced the king sitting atop his throne, looking stressed out with around a hundred servants and knights yelling panicked requests and updates in his ears.

"If only that fool could have sorted this whole affair earlier…" Polar Knight grumbled to me. "He knew the Order of the Shield were coming here for weeks, and yet he did little about it! And now look, there's panic everywhere! I cannot wait to hear what the fanfare is going to sound like…"

"Um…sir" I asked, trying to break Polar Knight from his string of complaints. His wandering eyes fixed upon me again.

"Ah, yes" he murmured. "Stand in line, Shovel Knight. We are to be assembled this side of the carpet to give the salute. Black Knight is already there, so go and find him. I must find the rest of our group" he explained to me. During this, he gestured to a spot to the right of the ascended throne: a few of the Order members were standing about shovels sheathed, discussing amongst each other. Black Knight was there, arms crossed, studying one of the pillars near to the throne. I always thought the throne room was a tad over decorated, what with its pillars and hanging curtains, great windows on either side of the long hall and the fancy, ascended throne of gold at the end. But I suppose they didn't put the word 'pride' in Pridemoor for nothing.

After being given my orders, I made my way through the crowds again (who were now making sense of it all and beginning to assemble into recognisable groups either side of the throne walk) and met with Black Knight, who was just as perplexed as I about the over decorated nature of the throne room. We hadn't been here often, and each time it seemed to surprise us just how needless all the grandeur was. The King wasn't even that grandly dressed, in his slightly shabby robes. Perhaps it was all inherited?

Our discussion did not last long. Polar Knight returned with the remaining lost stragglers from our group and assembled us in a small square formation near the throne, forming part of an audience that surrounded either side of the walkway. The hustle and bustle quietened, but still maintained. Everybody quickly assumed their positions and within minutes, the walkway was clear. The stage was set. I stood, my heart beating slightly at the prospect. This first glimpse at the Order of the Shield was an exciting prospect to behold!

"Silence!"

The King waved his hand in the air, cutting all the hustle and bustle down to nothing. I had to admit, he didn't look like much of a king, but he sure knew how to command a crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the keep" he begun in his un-kingly voice. "We are gathered today to welcome esteemed guests to our gracious keep. Fanfare, sound your sirens! It is time to welcome The Order of the Shield!"

The fanfare group, located at the far end of the throne room next to the great wooden door entrance, quickly gave a four count before blaring out a simple, triplet-filled fanfare. I felt its sound waves echo through the throne room amidst the silence.

The great doors suddenly started to open slowly. Having greeted guests before in such a manner, it was not customary for me to turn my head and look at who was coming. My orders were to stand with shovel in hand, knightly position, just as Polar Knight always asked. The fact that Polar Knight was stood to one side of me further foiled my plans to turn my head and see. However, I could strain my eyes just enough to see much of the walkway leading to the throne. It was through this that I was to witness the Order of the Shield make their first appearance to Pridemoor Keep…and into my life.


	3. Chapter 3: The Crimson Lady

Chapter 3: The Crimson Lady

As the fanfare came to an end, I managed to catch sight of a great, hulking figure walking through the room. His face was very striking: scarred face, big nose, slightly squinted eyes, bald scalp but long, braided silvering hair running down his neck and back. He had no shirt on and was built to the nines with muscle. Thankfully, steel-plated leather trousers adorned the lower half of his body, with two suspender-like belts attached, strapping around his shoulders. His free left arm was adorned with a brown, leather gauntlet. His right hand carried the most eye catching thing of his whole display: his shield. It was a gigantic, heart shaped, sharp edged shield, adorned with shining steel bearing an emblem on its front. Its size matched the man wielding it, who appeared to carry the hulking thing with ease.

I instantly felt intimidated by this man as he stomped through the room with his large, clunky boots. Behind him were a small number of knights, all dressed in typical plated armour (like myself and my colleagues). But each also carried a shield, circular in shape, the size of their bodies. On their others arms were small discs that appeared to me like mini-shields. Each of their helmets were also adorned with little wings.

The Order of the Shield, I thought to myself. What an interesting group of people, and what a fearsome leader they had! He made even Polar Knight look soft (although I would never say that in front of my leader, I have no death wish)! The silence in the room was of a completely different kind: awe, rather than respect and humility.

A wide eyed King looked down from his throne at the beast of a man who stood before him, before clearing his throat.

"Garuda!" he called to the man. "King of Shields! It does my heart much good to finally meet the legend in person!"

Instantly I could tell the King was lying. I'd never heard of this King of Shields. Neither had the King. Neither had anyone. But I don't think anyone wanted to tell the truth, judging by the size of the man. He might as well have been the 'the legend' as soon as his foot touched the carpet.

Suddenly, the man cleared his throat, a loud 'HARRUMPH' shot through the room as the shielded boar brought his meaty fist to his mouth.

"Tis a pleasure to…" he started, his voice as gravelly as stone. He then hesitated. "Er…tis a…hmmm….aaahhh"

People in the room started to look at each other. What was going on? Amidst the confusion, one of the shielded knights stood behind him ran out. A lady knight, with long flowing blonde hair and crimson red armour, quickly sprinted from her formation and stood beside Garuda, producing a piece of parchment from her satchel. Garuda gently (and uncharacteristically) took the parchment from this knight and cleared his throat again with another loud 'HARRUMPH'. He looked down at the parchment and squinted his eyes again.

"…Er…It is a pleasure to be welcomed by you, my good friend, King of Pridemoor Keep" he croaked loudly. "I am Garuda, King of Shields" He then dropped the parchment and confidently looked up to the throne and into a scared King's eyes. "I would like to introduce to you but a select few of my Order: the Order of the Shield"

The King started to applaud to acknowledge this fact, an action everybody in the room joined in with. Perhaps it was fear more than anything else, but any contingent led by this man must have been fearsome. Even if the shielded knights stood behind him didn't look as gruff or as angry as their leader.

"I do notice there are only…fifteen of you, correct?" the King asked, eying the knights in front of him.

"Aye, that's right" Garuda answered. "Fifteen of my Order's finest knights. They represent the best of our collective"

But there was only one person from that whole collective who my eyes were stuck on: the crimson knight. She was the only woman of the fifteen shielded knights gathered behind Garuda. From the moment she ran out to save her leader from a potentially embarrassing introduction, I just couldn't stop looking. My stomach turned a little; was it the fact that her hair hung down from her helmet? Was it the fact that despite being a knight, her face seemed so fair? She ran with a grace that even her suit of armour could not hide. And when she ran back just as quickly as she delivered her parchment, I kept my eyes on her, not out of choice, but because I could not take my eyes anywhere else. She stood, somewhat coyly, amongst her colleagues, looking around and admiring the grand scenery around her.

What was her name? What was her history? What was her business, and what was her pleasure? It was the first time I had ever set eyes on someone and felt I needed to know the answers to all these questions. I was perplexed by these new sensations and feelings I had as I stood there, the proceedings whizzing past me without my attention being taken. All I could do was focus on this girl.

"Ah, my old friend, we meet again!"

The gravelly voice broke my gaze and I quickly darted my eyes to see the hulking Garuda stomping towards me. I had no quarrel with this man, why was he approaching me? I forgot about the girl instantly and started to panic: had I met him before? How must I react?

"Garuda…it's been a long time"

I looked up to the origin of the voice: Polar Knight. Garuda had approached him and offered a hand.

"Well met, Polar Knight" Garuda said to me commander as they shook hands. "You're looking very well! Tell me, what brings you here?"

"Well met, Garuda" Polar Knight replied. "I lead the contingent of knights here from the Order of the Shovel"

"The Order of the Shovel?" Garuda asked. "My friend, you have come a long way from the strapping young lad I used to know. We've both come far...it does me well to see you again". Garuda then quickly cast a glance at all of us in acknowledgement before he looked back to Polar Knight. "A fine bunch" he told him. "I look forward to working with you"

"So do I, my friend" Polar Knight added as Garuda turned around and walked back to his formation of shielded knights.

"I trust accommodation had been prepared for us?" Garuda asked the King, turning his head towards him.

"Y-yes" the King stammered. "My loyal subjects! Take the King of Shields and his fine knights to their quarters! At once!" A series of servants and maids appeared from the back of the throne and a few of the keep's regular knights led the group out of the throne room and deep into the bowels of the castle. As they did, the formations of people lining the throne walk started to dissipate and spread away. The ceremony was finished.

However I continued to stand still, unable to move. My gaze was fixed upon that crimson knight, who walked out of the room in formation with her fellow knights. She was…

…incredibly attractive.

And captivating too. I had never seen a female knight such as her before! Other female knights I have had the pleasure of knowing in the past were often indistinguishable from the men due to the armour and helmets. And in downtime, I never really spoke or fraternised with them. But this lady knight, who aided her leader in his undue time of need, there just seemed to be _something_ about her that struck a chord within me unlike anyone else? Fate? Or was it just me being silly?

Whatever it was, as I stood there, utterly still, I knew that I had to get to know this person.


	4. Chapter 4: Shopping

Chapter 4: Shopping

"Their presence is a revolutionary new step for this collection of knights"

I sat in Polar Knight's study, him and me alone, as he told me about the Order of the Shield. Polar Knight kept a very nice little study in one of the turrets of Pridemoor Keep. A humble bed, desk full of papers, a globe and many maps of the land hung up on the walls and his selection of shovels and armour stacked by the door. All surrounded by stone walls and floors. I was sat upon one of the only two chairs in the study, with Polar Knight upon the other, gently smoking a pipe.

"So they followed the Order of the Shovel's example, is that correct sir?" I asked. Polar Knight nodded gently, dumping some burnt tobacco from his pipe.

"That's correct, in a sense" Polar Knight hummed quietly. "The Order of the Shovel was the first of its kind. We, a collective of knights with no stronghold, make our housing by pledging our services to other regions. Like here, for example" Polar Knight waved his hand in the air, gesturing to his study. "It looks like the Order of the Shield are next to give it a go, and it's here that they are trying their hand as noble mercenaries"

I did not know whether to feel proud of this new Order, or to look down at them for essentially copying the Order of the Shovel in their endeavours. My temptation was to look down upon them, mainly out of pride for my own service. But these shielded knights who had appeared before us in the keep followed the same cause: peace and justice. For that, I could not turn my nose up at them.

They were as noble as us shovel-wielding knights. In a sense, they were one of us. We all walk the same path.

It had been three days since they had first arrived, but they were mysteriously absent in and around the castle for much of that time. I spotted one or two of them patrolling the keep once, but that was all. The crimson lady who had captivated me on that first day? Not a sighting. I started to forget why she had caught my attention so.

Polar Knight took another puff of his pipe and looked out the window, where his ragged curtains were blowing against a gentle breeze. I prepared another question.

"This…Garuda fellow" I asked, piquing my superior's interest. "How do you know him?"

"We were very good friends, a long time ago" Polar Knight explained. "Nothing incredibly special, just two journeymen who chanced upon each other and happened to become stalwart companions. He is still a good friend to me, although he;s changed a lot"

"How so?" I asked. Polar Knight started to chuckle, still gazing out the window.

"He's a lot bigger" Polar Knight said quietly. "He's a brave man. I spoke with him yesterday, catching up. He tells me he leads the Order of the Shield now since its previous one passed away. He's the one whose worked hard to secure this deal with Pridemoor Keep to station knights of his order here. I admire him, he has a vision. And there's nothing wrong with following a good example, eh? Heh heh heh…"

After hearing that from Polar Knight, I decided that I would never consider turning my nose up at the Order of the Shield again.

Still, shovels are better.

* * *

Later that day, I decided to use the free day I had been gifted by the King to head into the nearby village outside of the keep for a spot of shopping. I receive a relatively handsome payment for my services, but I am in charge of my own armour purchases. So it was no coincidence that I had gone to the village to find myself a new breastplate. My normal silver breastplate had been accidentally smashed up when I stepped on it during a nightly toilet run (and boy did I run!). In addition, I needed something to match the cerulean hue of my helmet. I was in a monochrome mood, I suppose.

The village was always a lovely place to visit. As soon as I walk in, the bustle of the community is a welcome breath of fresh air from the regal halls of Pridemoor Keep. The solider at the gate of the village always forgets to ask me about my knightly business due to my shovel (he doesn't consider it a weapon. The fool). On this particular day, he wasn't even there.

I walked in and started to look out for the armour vendor. After a quick stroll down the cobblestone streets, passing buildings and huts both tall and short, I found the building I needed. It was a small, two-storied barn with the emblem of a shield hung above the door. The main doors were open and the shopkeeper was busy tending to the public display of armors positioned just outside the doors.

"Good day sir" I called as I approached the displayed armour selection. The shopkeeper acknowledged my presence and continued on with his business. The local bard was busy playing his lute and singing his songs just a few houses down the main street, his sound mixed in with the sounds of kids playing and finished with the gentle touch of many conversations. Closing my eyes from within my helmet, I breathed in this beautiful amalgamation of sound that caressed my ears.

Did I tell you I loved this village?

I walked deeper into the barn started to look through the selection of armours, my mood high and spirited. I needed something strong, but more importantly, something blue. Something to match my helmet. I spied a strong looking breastplate, with a curved front. Walking to it, I brought it out and held it in my hands. It was just my size, impeccably shiny, and I had the feeling that it would be a good fit. But it was silver.

"Good sir, would you happen to have this make of breastplate in blue, perchance?" I called out, my eyes still stuck on the armour. There was no answer to my call. I turned around and looked to the outside display by the entrance. The shopkeeper was busy aligning his best buys outside the barn. I sighed; he wasn't going to hear me from here. I raised my voice: "Vendor?"

"Oh, I think I saw a blue breastplate over in that section of the store"

The mystery voice frightened me to no end; so much so that I recoiled and clanged against the insides of my armour. A woman's voice had just spoken to me, and as I spun around, I hid a gasp. It was the crimson knight.

It was the first time that I had seen her up close. Her red armour was shiny and polished, well fitting and very well kept. Her winged helmet was also kept in equally good measure, reflecting the sun outside in pleasant fashion. But what stood out most was her face: clean, slightly pale, with a beauty spot. She had kind eyes and a small mouth and nose. Strangely though, despite the kind appearance of each seerate feature of her face, when they all came together, I felt slightly intimidated by her look. She had the air of business about her, an air of determination. Not one to be fooled with.

"Ah!" I yelped as I turned to see her, frantically trying to keep my cool. "You! You're from the Order of the Shield, are you not?"

She chuckled and gave me a smile. She had a husky, relatively low voice, lower than many women I've been in the company of previously.

"That's correct" she confirmed. "I hope you don't mind?"

"Not at all…" I said, regaining my cool. I cleared my throat and brought my hand out to her. "Shovel Knight. Order of the Shovel. Five year…er…veteran" I explained. The girl looked at my hand with a little confusion, before shrugging and shaking my hand.

"Shield Knight" she said. "Order of the Shield. It's nice to make your acquaintance"

My composure returned to me, I placed the breastplate I had been holding onto back into its frame. "What brings your to this village…Shield Knight?" I asked. Ask a silly question, I thought, why else would she be in an armour shop?

"Ah, just getting to know the village" Shield Knight responded, turning to peruse the plates in front of her. She rifled through them with her delicate gauntlets; I noticed her shields were nowhere in sight.

"Are you with your company?" I asked, curious. She nodded in response, turning to look at me. She gestured her head to outside the barn.

"The rest of the guys are out there somewhere, looking at other things. Even Garuda's looking around, giving the townsfolk a fright!" She started to giggle again, a low 'huh huh' type of laugh.

I quite liked it. Upon a second look, she struck me as having a tomboyish flair to her. The large, masculine design of her armour contributed to that flair somewhat, and had her helmet fully obscured her face, she could have easily passed for a man. I wondered: perhaps this is why she, unlike the remainder of her shielded friends, showed her face? I do distinctly remember her and Garuda being the only two distinct faces of the group when they entered the throne room for the first time.

At this point the shopkeeper had returned and was sorting out another batch of hanging armor. I turned to give him a quick glance, before turning back to Shield Knight. She had moved from her position and was now nearer to the door, ready to leave.

"I'll leave you to shop in peace, Shovel Knight" she said to me. "It's nice to meet you. Hopefully we shall be able to talk more in future" she flashed me another of her gentle smiles before stepping out into the sunlit cobble streets and out of sight.

Just like that, our swift introduction had come to its conclusion.

I expected to be overridden once more with swirling thoughts of the crimson knight, but that first conversation we'd had seemed to quell the mystery about her. Shield Knight: a kind, gentle and generally pleasant, slightly masculine woman. That's all. It was enough to curb my curiosity.

Little did I know I would be seeing a lot more of her, and before long, those long sleepless nights filled with thoughts and fantasies were just around the corner.


	5. Chapter 5: Welcome to Training

Chapter 5: Welcome to Training

A few days passed since my first encounter with Shield Knight at the village. I bumped into her a few times in the following days, as she had begun patrol circuits of the keep. Although we never occupied the same patrol, we would occasionally intersect, and make idle talk. Nothing serious, as one would say. The thrill of having met someone so different to the usual knight had worn away quite quickly. Every time we spoke, it was brief and simple.

Usually, when the knights of the keep undergo training sessions (both shovelled and sword wielding), we go out into the courtyards and practice drills, as well as spar, all under the watchful eye of Polar Knight, whose expertise in fighting and running the training sessions was deemed so effective that they 'retired' the old instructor (he was sacked by the King. Poor guy). Sometimes members of the Order of the Shovel would get to fight the castle garrison, a mixing and matching of weapons that always made for an interesting spectacle… and a good challenge for myself whenever I was involved.

However, today was going to be a whole new ball game. The Order of the Shield were joining in on the training sessions for the first time. We were finally going to see what these knights were made of.

* * *

7am in the morning. The courtyard, vast, cold and gravelly, was beginning to fill with knights, dressed in their practice armour, wielding their practice weaponry. Whether it be a rubber edged blade or a blunted shovel, these weapons were not designed to hurt…much. Wielding my own blunted practice shovel, I made my way out to the courtyard, taking little notice of the grey skies and cold winds that blew across the grounds. At once, I saw Black Knight, practicing his shovel strokes alone.

"What ho, Black Knight!" I called to him. Catching his attention, I saw him turn around, interrupting his drills, before walking to me. We exchanged a handshake.

"Shovel Knight, good to see you" he said to me. He pitched his shovel in the ground and crossed his arms (Black Knight always liked to cross his arms). "Excited for today?"

I was excited; there was no mistaking that sparking feeling in one's chest when one feels such a thing. I held my breath to try and contain it at times, but there was no doubting that I was looking forward to seeing the Order of the Shield. It intrigued me so to imagine how Shield Knight wielded her shields in battle. The very prospect of potentially facing her was the most exciting thing.

"Very much so!" I replied to Black Knight. "I cannot wait to show these knights how we members of the Order of the Shovel do battle!"

Black Knight's helmet raised slightly; I could tell his attention had focused to something behind me. Just as he did, Polar Knight called us to line up. I quickly turned around and fired a glance behind me.

From within the bowels of the castle, the Order of the Shield emerged. Garuda, visually unchanged since his very first entrance in the throne room, stomped out onto the grounds with the bottom tip of his humongous shield scraping against the floor. His fifteen knights, The Order of the Shield, followed closely behind him in formation. They were also in full armour, and their shields were definitely not practice shields. From the distance, I could make out Shield Knight, following closely behind Garuda, as they approached us in the centre of the training ground.

Upon a second order to line up from Polar Knight, myself, Black Knight and rest of the Order assembled ourselves into one straight line, with Polar Knight stood at one end. In similar fashion, Garuda barked orders to his crew to also line up, mimicking our lineup, albeit with a lot less people. I continued to watch Shield Knight as she hurried to her position and then stood still, in a strict military stance, alongside the rest of her Order. Aside from her face being visible, she was undistinguishable from the rest of her company.

Polar Knight and Garuda broke from their lines and walked into the middle of the two, ready to address us all.

"We have some new guests today" Polar Knight started, his hands behind his back as the winds blew at his furs and beard. "Pridemoor Keep garrison and Order of the Shovel collective, please welcome the Order of the Shield to their first training session amongst us" he explained. Shovel or no shovel, all of us in our line applauded our guests, who stood absolutely still. Garuda clearly kept a good discipline, that was for sure.

"From here on out, the Order of the Shield will be joining us in our training sessions" Polar Knight continued. "It will work like this: first segment remains unchanged. Regular knight and shovel wielding knights will split up and practice drills and techniques. Shield bearers will also be in their own group, pursuing the same objective"

Garuda then stood forward and cleared his throat.

"Shield wielders" he called out, as intimidating as ever. "You will be under my personal jurisdiction for this segment of training, whereas Polar Knight will continue his duty as overseer of the rest" He then turned to eye my line of knights. "And once that's done…we enter the second phase: sparring"

A small, somewhat sinister smile started to crack upon Garuda's face. The scars of his face also seemed to twist and deepen as he grinned. I felt my heartbeat rise as he looked at each and every single one of us, myself included. It was at this moment I realised just how large Garuda was: at least a head's height above our tallest knight (and I was amongst the shortest). He matched Polar Knight in height, but his arms were like my thighs. His thighs were...well, hidden behind his trousers, but I shudder to imagine how strong they were.

"I wonder what you all are made of…" he said to himself quietly as he started to pace. "Polar Knight runs a tight ship, that much I do know. But do your swords and your…shovels…stand any match against my shields? What an interesting thing to think about…I am looking forward greatly to having that question answered later on"

He then turned to Polar Knight, his smile becoming kinder. Polar Knight, although not smiling, had a friendly, eased look upon him. Garuda stepped up to him, taking a deep breath.

"I know you train your crew well" he said to him. "I have high expectations; don't let me down"

A small smile appeared on Polar Knight's otherwise unmoving face. I noticed that he was filled with confidence.

"I won't, Garuda" he said quietly. "…You were always one for competition, eh?"

Garuda started to chuckle, his voice wheezy and worn down. Patting Polar Knight on the shoulder, he started to walk to his own knights.

"Shall we get started then?" he asked.

"Of course" Polar Knight responded. "Knights, split up and start running through your drills!"

"My troops, with me!" Garuda added to his own Order. "No respite, despite difference in location! Peace and justice ever prevail when a lazy knight presides!"

* * *

The first part of the training session was as standard: Polar Knight ran us through our drills (juggling us and the normal garrison knights), had us go over certain offence and defence sequences and trained our stamina and strength through exercises. All normal, nothing out of the ordinary. However, when I did get a spare second, I looked over to the Order of the Shield and observed their training. It looked much more gruelling: Garuda barking his commands and the knights following them to the letter, all without fail, all with maximum effort. I was still excited for our sparring encounter with them, but seeing how hard and fast they trained did set me a little ill at ease.

Within time, the training session ended and the sparring session was to begin. We were summoned by Polar Knight to line back up. The Order of the Shield lined up as well with rattling speed; they looked as if they hadn't missed a beat! How could they not be tired? As they kept their stance just as strict and military as they had at the beginning of the day, I started to worry that this sparring session was going to be a somewhat one sided affair…


	6. Chapter 6: Worthy Foe?

Chapter 6: Worthy Foe?

"Alright then! It's time to see who's better…my Order, or yours?"

Garuda's gravelly voice rung out through the grounds as his challenge struck fear into the hearts of many of us. We'd never seen a group of people like the Order of the Shield before. It appeared that I was not the only spectator to their gruelling, rigorous training regimen, and all of us were uncertain of how this sparring session was going to go. For them to be able to stand so straight and so disciplined after such a regimen was a testament to their potential strength. A skirmish with these people wasn't going to be a pleasant affair, this much I knew.

Polar Knight stood in front of the two lines of soldiers and cleared his throat while Garuda paced around us all, almost prowling like a predator.

"So it's going to be settled like this" Polar Knight explained. "We're all going to enter a free-for-all fight. Shovels, versus shields, versus all else, in those three groups. Each knight has one hit point. When you've been hit, you're officially 'dead' and must remove yourself to the side. The last person standing wins, and earns the victory for their team"

"And I'll be watching" Garuda added, his voice ringing out from behind me as he paced. "Anybody who tries to cheat will have to answer to me" So it was incredibly clear that there would be no cheating, lest one wanted to be vaporised by Garuda. The more I thought about it, the more I both hated and respected this hulk of a man.

I continued to look across from me towards Shield Knight. She remained utterly still, completely disciplined, just like the rest of her companions. Her staunch gaze rested upon the grey sky, focused and unbreakable. It still surprised me how somebody like her could be so disciplined, even more so than myself. I could only hope that deep down the training didn't necessarily translate into fighting skills.

After all, training hasn't always been the greatest contributor to my fighting skill: fighting has. And in addition, I had a shovel. The shovel is the mightiest weapon of all. I'll always remind everyone I see of this fact. Always.

I started to feel a little hope rise inside me. My slightly hunched back straightened and my posture improved. I breathed more clearly and I gripped my shovel handle with more conviction that I had done all morning. I knew that the shovel was the greatest weapon. In an effort to boost my confidence, I whispered that face to myself over and over again. The shovel was the superior weapon. No amount of training or novelty could ever beat a soldier with a pure heart and a shovel in hand. As long as this was true, I had nothing to be afraid of.

Theoretically, anyway.

Polar Knight separated the general knights from the shovel-wielding knights, so we, alongside the Order of the Shield, were three separate groups, ready for battle. Once we had been spirited, no words were spoken. I looked to my bladed enemies, and then to my shielded enemies. Enemies; this is the purpose that they served to me in this moment in time. Even Shield Knight was someone to be defeated, to be brought to heel by the might of my shovel and my spirit. I was scared of the battle's outcome, but I had enough confidence in myself to know I wouldn't perform poorly in this skirmish.

I felt a hand on my shoulder, and suddenly.

"Go!"

I tried to run, but the hand stopped me. I quickly turned to find that it was Polar Knight who was actually holding me back, having slipped behind me in the time that we all stood silently. Everybody else in the line rushed into a big collision in the middle of the field; Garuda started to look intently for eliminations.

"Sir, what are you doing?" I asked, slightly frustrated that my pent up emotions could not be released in a battle for glory. Polar Knight's hand remained on my shoulder; I felt the urge to fidget out of it and join the fray that was fast unfolding before me. The field had become flooded with a fiery battle, shovels, swords and shield flying everywhere, with the odd 'dead' solider limping out of the battle here and there. Guards kept a watchful eye over the whole proceedings, dragging out some of the unconscious soldiers who were smacked just a little too hard on the head with a shovel...or a shield, as I could roughly see. As I quickly turned my head back, I noticed that Polar Knight had also held Black Knight behind. His sentiments were similar to mine.

"Why am I be being held back?" he asked calmly, turning to his commander. "Shouldn't we be fighting?"

Polar Knight shook his head slowly.

"I need you two for something bigger than this skirmish" Polar Knight said to us, his eyes fixed on the battle. At first I didn't get at all what he meant by this message. I spied the battle; a mess of intricate battle stances and exact offence patterns...being thrown to the wind in favour of messy, hack-and-slash style battling. The Order of the Shield troops fought with a little more finesse than the rest, who wildly flung their shovels and sword and axes in whichever direction they could, sometimes even hitting own members of their team.

As the numbers whittled down however, the survivors became more cautious and aware of their own space, and their frantic fighting soon became weary, yet wary strikes and counter-blocking attacks.

Three shielded knights became apparent as contenders to win the skirmish. The two shovel wielding knights and single normal knight attempted to team up against them, exercising more caution than ever before. An inetresting battle between the Order of the Shield knights and everyone else unfolded, with cheers coming from the 'dead' for their favourites. But with a fee fancy moves and head knocks later, the shielded knights came out as clear winners.

I wish I could recall the whole event in more detail, but I quickly lost focus when I realised that a very important figure wasn't in the battle. Shield Knight was notably absent; had she been eliminated early?

The members of the Order of the Shield, upon striking the last knight down, were declared victors by Garuda, who himself was obviously pleased that his outnumbered group of soldiers were able to climb to the top of the skirmish and achieve victory. A group of humbled knights, order or no order, applauded while all eating a big slice of humble pie. However, Shield Knight was still nowhere to be found near the skirmish area.

As I scanned, I quickly noticed she was stood outside of the whole thing untouched by any weapon or battle, standing still. She was looking straight at Black Knight and I, a determined look in her face. At first I believed her to be upset for being eliminated so quickly, but noticing the clean shine of her armour, untouched by mud, it was apparent that she had not even partaken in the skirmish.

Why?

"Well done, my men!" Garuda called out as he started to walk away from the skirmish and towards Shield Knight. "I am very glad that you've managed to win the skirmish with such good numbers! However, that was only the beginning. Now, it's time for the main course…"

He stood behind Shield Knight, placing his large hands upon her shoulder plates. She remained still, and very determined. Polar Knight tapped my shoulder.

"Shovel Knight…I hope you're ready" he told me, his voice filled with matching determination. I seemed to be out of the loop on all of this.

"Why, sir?" I asked, playing devil's advocate. Polar Knight didn't answer. Garuda, on the other side, started to step away from Shield Knight, wrapping his hands behind his back. The wind started to blow as I started to feel a light, drizzling rain come from the sky. My heart started to beat harder in my chest; I swallowed a dry throat down.

"I've been looking forward to this" Garuda grumbled loudly, a grin upon his face. "My best knight…versus yours. I see you've picked two, Polar Knight!"

It hit me. A one-on-one duel with Shield Knight was about to happen. I gripped my shovel tightly, trying to control my nerves. Surely Shield Knight must have been nervous as well? By the looks of things, seeing how diligently she stood, it didn't look like the prospect of beating me into a pulp phased her that much. That fact increased my nerves exponentially, and I could only stand and shake in my armour a little as Polar Knight and Garuda continued their dialogue.

"Indeed I have" Polar Knight replied, the rain leaving dew-like spheres of rain hanging to his beard. "Both Shovel Knight and Black Knight are my longest serving knights. They now how to command a shovel with great ease. I hope you don't mind my…indecisiveness in this matter"

"Not at all…" Garuda hummed. He stopped and shot a gaze at Polar Knight. "In fact, I hope you don't mind if she challenges both of them to a duel?"

There was a silence. I looked across to Black Knight, he stood with his shovel dug in the ground, both hands upon its handle, holding a confident posture. Black Knight was always one for confidence; he had an unnatural knack for laughing during fights and folding his arms. Here, his confidence continued in his stance, but surely he too must have been wary of the dominating display the Order of the Shield had just given? Surely he too was also afraid of Shield Knight?

"…I accept your challenge, Garuda" Polar Knight said finally after a long silence. "One hit to the body or head for victory"

I swear that I could hear a gasp amongst the crowd; they had already subconsciously started to gather around us all in a circle, marking some sort of battle arena on the rainy grounds. Polar Knight gestured to me; I took a deep breath.

"I select Shovel Knight to go first" he said, before looking at me. "Show Garuda how we in the Order of the Shovel truly dispense justice"

I nodded. The adrenaline had started to inject itself into my body and was dissipating the nerves I felt. Now, readiness came to me. Just like every fight I have ever been in, the tightness of my grip against my shovel and the sudden lightness of my armour: my body was in fight mode. No longer did I feel scared. I watched as Shield Knight took up her defensive stance and the members of the circle started to chant for their favourites. One hit. That's all it had to be.

That's all it needed to be.

It was time for a fight.


	7. Chapter 7: Humble Pie

Chapter 7: Humble Pie

Filled with as much courage as I could muster, I started to sprint towards Shield Knight. Nearing her, I jumped into the air and positioned my shovel downwards, ready for a sky attack. As I dropped down, Shield Knight pulled her great shield with one hand to cover her head. As a result, I bounced off of the shield and landed on the ground near her.

I stepped quickly towards her and swung my shovel a few times, but to no avail; she blocked every attempt with the small shield she had in her hand. After a third heavy swing, to which was deflected to the floor, she swept her leg beneath me and I found my balance taken completely. I landed with an unimpressive thud on the floor. The silence around us was deafening, I don't know whether they could believe what was happening. I was most embarrassed, with my back on the floor having just been tripped up. It didn't even count as a hit.

I got myself back up, and filling with some anger, I started to run at Shield Knight again. I raised my shovel and swung again, but with great precision, she caught the shovel just below it's blade and tugged it. In doing so, I lost my balance once again and struggled to keep it. Thrown forward and dangling on one foot, I quickly regained my footing and turned around.

I was met with a heavy, metal fist, which struck me square in the face. The loud 'clang' sound that rung out from the collision caused the crowd to draw a sharp breath in; it certainly didn't feel pretty. My face itself took no damage, but the rattling from the helmet jarred my neck slightly, stunning me. In my slight moment of weakness, Shield Knight threw her large shield slightly in the air and caught the edge of it with both hands, before she swung it around in a circle and straight at me.

It hit me like a brick wall. One moment I was on my feet, senses returned from the shaking helmet and ready to charge. The next, the whole front of my body was numb from a great strike that my brain was still trying to register. I was flying through the air momentarily. I saw the sky, and then as I landed, I saw everything and more as I twisted and turned in my collision. Slowed by the gravel, I eventually stopped, a crumpled, banged up heap near the edge of the man-made circle.

That was the hit, I thought to myself. I've lost. The pain started to wrack itself over me, as I comprehended how crushing it felt to have been beaten so decisively.

I was Shovel Knight! A five-year veteran of the Order of the Shovel! And Shield Knight had just resoundingly beaten me. I had let Polar Knight and my order down. The eyes that must have been looking at my crumpled frame on the floor were too much to bear. I closed my eyes and sighed in shame.

* * *

Seconds later, I tried to untangle myself from my own mess and managed to get to my hands and knees, my chest and shoulders incredibly sore and tender from the shield strike I had suffered. Straining my eyes open and craning my neck to look out to the fields, I saw Black Knight and Shield Knight locked in deep battle.

It was a painful sight to see. I always considered Black Knight an equal of sorts, a man who had only been in the Order of the Shovel just a few months less than myself. But here, he held his own well against Shield Knight. Every punch she threw, he dodged. Every strike he attempted, she blocked. Fancy manoeuvres and basic technique were both on display as they clashed and struggled against their weapons and their own strength. One minute, then two, and then five. The crowd had forgotten about me completely and was becoming sucked in by the action they were watching. The sounds of Shield Knight and Black Knight grunting, panting and yelling were drowned out by the cheering sounds of the quickly maddening crowd, with one side cheering for Shield Knight whereas the other cheered for Black Knight.

And all I could do was watch on my hands and knees. My heart sank and I felt myself becoming weak again. I wanted to fall asleep and wake up in my bed, knowing that this was just a bad dream.

It was entirely real. And for fifteen long minutes, the two duelled, trying everything against each other but just not being able to topple the other. Before long, the two were a pair of exhausted, clumsy fighters, who had clearly lost all of their fight. After one last slow exchange, the two stood apart, trying to catch their breath back. Shield Knight's blonde hair had loosened from her helmet and was falling down, resting upon her armour. Black Knight's confident pose was absent as he hung on to his buried shovel for stability. The crowds quieted as the two caught their breath.

"…I think we can safely call this one a draw" Polar Knight said finally, long after the two had stopped fighting. The two combatants dropped their weapons, and I watched as they stumbled next to each other, eyes fixed upon each other intensely, before shaking hands. The crowds started to cheer. I remained on my hands and knees, and only got up once the training session had been concluded.

Nobody approached me, even as I changed back into my normal armour in the changing rooms. I expected to at least see Black Knight inside, ready to talk to me about what just happened and perhaps offer some form of consolation. But I realised upon noting his absence in the changing room that he was still out on the grounds with Polar Knight, Shield Knight and Garuda. I shuddered to think what they could have been talking about. I felt very much left out, and i had nobody but myself to blame for it.

Defeat tasted bitter, but seeing Black Knight and Shield Knight together, as equals, shaking hands in mutual admiration and respect stirred something in me.

Although I'd hardly talked to her up until now, that day changed my life. I would never forget the day I ate the biggest slice of humble pie, and it made me realise deep, burgeoning thoughts and feelings that I'd never known existed until that moment.


	8. Chapter 8: Ruminations

Chapter 8: Ruminations

The following morning, thanks to the graces of good luck, was a day off for me. It allowed me time to dwell on what had happened to me in the last 24 hours.

I laid on my bed, my eyes facing the grey brick ceiling above me. The sun shown through my window, but it failed to lift my spirits. I remained as still as a corpse, mind filled with turbulence.

I had been defeated, completely and utterly. By Shield Knight, of all people.

Of course, I didn't believe that she was weak. She was the soldier selected by Garuda to face Black Knight and myself in the face-off. From that alone, I knew that I would be fighting a difficult opponent.

But to be defeated in such a fashion? I hardly lasted a minute against her! And throughout, every blow I tried to land had been easily deflected. Every quick manoeuvre I'd tried was punished with a tug of my shovel, a loss of my balance. A desecration of my dignity.

And then that strike with her shield. That blunt, powerful blow she dealt me still hurt me today. If I fidgeted on my bed, I could feel the soreness of my skin and damaged muscle stretched all across my chest. It was a painful reminder of my failure, and it spurred me on...to remain as still as I possibly could.

That was the first great issue that danced around my mind as I kept my gaze fixed to the ceiling, almost in intense concentration. I had my fair share of defeats in my time as a knight, especially in practice sparring sessions. But I had always prided myself as being better than this!

I **was** better than this! So why did it happen? Why did I lose so convincingly?

And how did **he** manage to stay fighting longer than I did?

This was the second issue on my mind. Black Knight. It had never occurred to me before that he was a better knight than I. He wasn't. I had been in the Order of the Shovel longer than he had. Even if by only a few months, I always see myself as his superior. Or saw, anyhow. After yesterday, I wonder whether those roles should be reversed.

But how did he do it? How did he get so good? Merely minutes before that face-off, both he and I were practice sparring and he had always been like he had before; unsure, slightly wary despite his portrayal of confidence…and not as good as me. In days gone by, I mostly was able to get the better of him in sparring sessions, despite the odd upset here and there.

I never ruminated about those defeats though. So as lay there, the world passing me by outside my window, I wondered.

Why was this a big problem?

Was it how I was defeated, in such convincing and destructive fashion? I recalled how I was tumbling across the floor after being struck by the great shield that Shield Knight threw at me. I remember every bump, every unnatural twist of my body, and the final drag against the gravel. I remember stopping, and coughing madly from the wind that had been smashed out of my lungs. I remember the confusion and bewilderment from such a strike.

Or was it seeing Black Knight fight her to a stalemate? It was embarrassing enough for me to be publicly eliminated in the fashion that I had been. But to then see Black Knight almost make an example of me through his valiant efforts…was incredibly painful to watch. I couldn't tear my eyes away from their intense battle.

It dawned on me more and more that their battle seemed to illustrate to me all my failures. Showing what I had tried unsuccessfully to achieve. And their handshake at the end seemed to signal something I wasn't a part of. A mutual club of success, or some secret pact. It told me I didn't belong.

I started to feel a dreadful loneliness creep up upon me.

* * *

The door suddenly knocked, breaking me from my stupor. I jumped up from the bed, much to my displeasure as my chest muscles roared out in pain from the jerk.

"H-hello?" I called out, exasperated and trying to keep my composure.

"Hello?" a husky voice called out from the other side. "Can I come in?"

The voice belonged to Shield Knight. Whatever I had been feeling before drained out of me completely, and instead a strange mixture of curiosity and fear filled me.

I hesitated a little, before calling out "Y-yes, come in"

My wooden door opened and Shield Knight, dressed in her patrol armour, stepped in. She had a concerned look on her face, but kindly still.

"Heya" she said quietly as she stepped in cautiously, before closing the door behind her. Why did she come here?

"Isn't it your patrol right now?" I asked, simply out of curiosity, but partly out of the heated emption of anger that was starting to build in me. Just because she was Shield Knight, didn't mean I was going to forget the pain she inflicted upon me, and the part she played in my humiliation.

She seemed to be looking for a place to sit, and as she eyed my desk chair, she gave me an asking glance, before taking a seat on it. She placed her hands on her legs and cleared her throat.

"Yes, it is" she replied to me. "I shouldn't be here right now, but I'm sure that I won't be missed for a few minutes"

"We could be attacked in that time, you know?" I said to her. I felt a sense of authority about myself when I spoke to her, but it just didn't feel the same. Unlike the time we met at the village, I didn't feel quite so powerful and independent anymore. The façade dropped. "Ah…it doesn't matter. We haven't been attacked in a while"

Shield Knight remained silent for a little while, as if pondering what to say. I couldn't quite understand what was going on; here I was, sitting on my bed, Shield Knight sitting in my chair, the light of the sun slowly progressing across the room towards her.

"…Um…" she hummed. "…I wanted to ask how you were"

"How I am?" I said instinctively, immediately after she had finished her sentence. There was a little tension in the air as I'd almost cut across her. "…I'm fine, I guess. Not sure why you're worried about it"

"Well…I am" she told me, straightening her back. She assumed a more confident look about herself and made direct eye contact with me.

For some reason, I felt my hostility waning. The way she was looking at me…I couldn't quite explain it, but I couldn't be angry for long.

"…Thanks" I replied after a while, feeling more neutral. I then started to chuckle a little as I recalled the mighty thud in which her shield had struck me the day before. "It was a hard hit, that much is for sure"

"But you're not injured, are you?" Shield Knight asked. I detected a hint of concern in her voice, but wasn't sure whether to register it or not. In this state, I wasn't sure of very much. For Shield Knight to approach me after such a moment seemed to confuse me more than anything else.

"No, I'm not injured…" I started as I attempted to move. But my body decided to call my bluff. A surging pain from the tenderness of my chest caused me to wince, and Shield Knight quickly stood and offered her hands to me.

"Oh no, are you alright?" she asked me as I waved away her support and slowly sat myself back down.

"Yes…y-yes, I'm fine" I insisted, trying not to yell out from the sudden jerk of pain. Breathing slowly, I sat back down on the bed. "i admit…" I continued. "I admit that you did hit me pretty hard. But I'm used to it…sort of. It's the hardest I think I've ever been hit, heh heh"

It was hard not to chuckle. Immense pain does that to you sometimes; it overrides your natural senses and reactions.

"Well, I just came up here to see if you were okay after yesterday" Shield Knight said. "I noticed that you didn't get up for quite a while after that strike. I'd wondered whether I'd killed you, pr at least broken a few ribs!"

"Well as you can see, I am unharmed…ish" I explained, before chuckling again. Shield Knight started to chuckle as well, and for a while, we were just there, chuckling away quietly. Shield Knight then stood up and started to walk for the door.

"Well, I'd better not let them find out I've been shirking patrol" she said. "Garuda would have had my head if he'd known that I had been slacking" she started to open the door, but I felt the need to ask one more question.

"Shield Knight…" I said. She turned to me. I pondered whether to ask my question for a second. "…Is Garuda a good leader? What type of man is he?"

Shield Knight looked out of the door to the corridor to see if anybody was there, before looking at me again.

"He's a strong leader…if not scary" Shield Knight explained. "When you're on his good side, then things are fine. But when you get on his bad side…it's worth not talking about. Goodbye Shovel Knight, and I hope you feel better soon"

With that, she closed the door and silence filled my room once again. For a few seconds, I stared at the door that Shield knight was in, listening to her fading footsteps as they patted with unnaturally consistent rhythm.

I then fell down onto the bed, my chest still in pain.

I ruminated more than ever.


	9. Chapter 9: The Pridemoor Ball

Chapter 9: The Pridemoor Ball

That evening, once lying on my bed had become boring enough, I decided to take a stroll around the castle. More specifically, I was looking for Black Knight. I felt that I had calmed down from yesterday's battle and felt it appropriate to congratulate my friend on his valiant efforts.

After all, he had shown a great deal of courage and skill in his battle with Shield Knight. Such efforts shouldn't go unnoticed, right?

So I strolled. I walked through corridors, walked under chandeliers, walked past patrolling guards. Be it shovel, shield or sword they held; I saw a lot. In fact, it was one of the first times in which I actually took notice of my surroundings. When I patrol, I make sure that the focus of my attention isn't upon my surroundings. I focus on what could happen to them, say in the instance of an attack. Or if a chandelier just randomly fell. It's happened before you know.

I had a vague idea of where Black Knight would be: in the training rooms. Black Knight was always in there in his spare time, training, working hard. I admired his effort, but it was simply making up for the fact that he wasn't a born talent with a shovel.

Well, until he held his own again Shield Knight. Since then, I started to feel that it wasn't that he didn't have that baseline talent. It was the fact that I hadn't trained hard enough.

So with my thought pattern running wild as I walked, finally taking notice of all my surroundings, I decided half way through my stroll that I would train after my chat with Black Knight.

* * *

In the basement floor of the keep, far below ground, were the training rooms. Prior to entering the complex, one had to crawl down a small, stone spiral staircase to a small wooden door. It was very much a hidden place, and nobody except for the knights of the castle were privy to its existence. So how did anyone not stumble across this? Why simply, the door to the staircase was behind the king's throne in the throne room. Smart, isn't it?

So I made my way through the extravagant throne room, the King absent (I'd never see him on the throne unless there was strict business, come to think of it). Carefully traversing the spiral staircase down into the underground, I soon reached an unassuming wooden door. Pushing it open, I walked into the training room.

The training room was a large underground complex, almost vast in its size and almost as grand a s the throne room itself. The first time I set my eyes upon this room, I was amazed. Stations upon stations of different training exercises were lined up on the edges of the rooms, with weight training and stamina training devices in the middle of the room, all linked by a matrix of walkways. There were always numerous knights in here at once, working on their strength and conditioning, but the vastness of the room always made the place feel slightly empty.

Although today, it wasn't as empty as usual, with practically every free member of the Order of the Shield also working away in the room. I wouldn't be surprised if it was Garuda who got these guys to come in.

At the far end of the room, I spotted him. Black Knight, his shovel brandished, dealing strikes against a durable dummy in the corner of the room. There was a mirror placed behind the dummy, and Black Knight was busy practicing his fighting posture and the movement of his strikes. I hadn't realised it before, but I felt a twinge of envy as I saw him working away at the dummy. Was this how he did it?

As I walked behind him, I saw my reflection in the mirror. He didn't notice my reflection as he yelled and threw another powerful strike at the dummy, causing it to rattle violently with a clashing sound against the blade of his dark shovel.

His posture was strong, tall and confident. I suddenly noticed in the reflection that I was slightly hunched. One stood taller over the other.

"Black Knight" I said. Lifting his shovel and about to strike again, he stopped his motion. He turned around. Even though our helmets obscured our faces, I felt his gaze meet mine.

"Ah, Shovel Knight!" he said, placing his shovel on the ground and extending a hand to me. We clashed hands in a shake that felt unusually fierce. "Good to see you! I didn't know you came down here on Wednesdays?"

I didn't, but this was different.

"Ah…I felt the need to train a little" I said to him, making up the excuse. "However, I was looking for you. I…wanted to congratulate you on your battle with Shield Knight. It was well fought"

I didn't know why, but those words came out like cheese through a grater. The uneasiness and force in which I spoke the words was the first time I had struggled to find words for Black Knight. A part of me questioned why. Another part of me knew.

But Black Knight remained humble. He chuckled a little and shook his head, placing his hands on his hips.

"Ah, it wasn't much to look at" he said. "I believe you were unlucky. I would have been beaten just the same had I gone first. Admittedly, I used your defeat to try and figure out how to go around battling Shield Knight. But regardless, whoever went first would have been at a distinct disadvantage"

As humble as Black Knight seemed, my discomfort continued. Thankfully emotions were not easily revealed through helmets.

"Well, perhaps I need to train more often" I mumbled to myself.

Black Knight jerked a little, lifting his finger.

"Ah, there was something I needed to tell you!" he said. I swear I could see the light bulb turn on above his head as he said that. "Did you hear about the ball that they're hosting in four weeks?"

"Nope" I replied, starting to lose focus.

"You haven't?" Black Knight asked. "The Pridemoor Ball? The King is throwing a ball as a welcome of sorts for the Order of the Shield. It's unprecedented, that's for sure!"

I had never been to a ball before, so the news didn't come as anything shocking to me. I could only hum in reaction. Suddenly, a voice broke out from behind me.

"Hey guys!"

A familiar, husky voice.

I turned around to see Shield Knight stood there, without her shields but still in full armour.

"Shield Knight!" Black Knight called to her. "Good to see you!" They shook hands, a great smile upon Shield Knight's lips. Helmet-less, her long blond hair had been tied back into a neat ponytail.

I had to admit, she looked incredibly attractive. A woman of strength and beauty, what more could a man like myself ask for? There was something about her lost helmet that opened up another, unseen side of her. The duty-strained attitude was gone. She was relaxed, happy, and confident. And I liked it.

After shaking hands with Black Knight, she turned to look at me.

"Good to see you, Shovel Knight" she said to me. I couldn't help but feel she addressed me just a little quieter than my companion.

"Well met, Shield Knight" I replied.

"Well…" Black Knight huffed, picking up his shovel. "We shall have to leave you there, Shovel Knight. Shield Knight and I have agreed to do a training session together. Perhaps we shall see you later!"

Black Knight started to walk off to another station, and as Shield Knight followed, she cast one last glance at me, her hair whipping slightly from the turn of her head.

"See you later" she said to me.

As they walked, side-by-side, I felt the deepest stirring of my emotions since Shield Knight first arrived to Pridemoor Keep. I couldn't tell whether I had recently gained the still-sinking knowledge of the Pridemoor Ball, or whether i started to get the feeling that something between Black Knight and I were not as it once seemed.

Whatever was happening, for the first time, I felt my heart beat faster for a cause other than battle.

I never trained as hard as I did that day in the training room.


	10. Chapter 10: The Refusal

Chapter 10: The Refusal

Training day once again. We were brought out into the drizzly cold by Polar Knight and Garuda, their barking orders like harsh stones to my ears. I had been dreading this week's training. I thought I could get over it, even though I had been humiliated in front of the people I was now running out to the grounds with. Whether they kept their silence due to the fear of their peers or out of pity for me, I didn't know.

We went through the same routine as we did last week. Line up. Listen to Polar Knight and Garuda. Break into groups. Do exercises. Work on formations and drills. Do one-on-one sparring in our separate groups. I would fight Black Knight. He would fight me. I would fight others. Nothing changed.

But for the first time, I felt little spark inside me. I always used to come out and have a drive and a passion for what I did. To be the best and the strongest. As a veteran of the Order of the Shovel, I had the determination to be on the top of my game, and to always work hard, be humble…and all that.

But first came the defeat. Then the moment in the training room. And now, as we finished our separate sessions and were lined up for a shovel vs shield versus all else battle, Polar Knight held myself and Black Knight back.

"Best of luck, Shovel Knight" I heard Black Knight say to me as the preliminary battle was winding down. The Order of the Shield knights had achieved victory again, although through a margin of only two knights.

It didn't matter. The one-on-one was coming up. Garuda and Polar Knight's little show.

I started to feel a deep resentment of it.

Polar Knight sent Black Knight out first, who went to face his battle with Shield Knight. Her posture, just a rigid and disciplined as the first week, seemed to suggest that she was to present just as big a challenge to Black Knight as she did the previous week.

I didn't know if I could watch the fight. But I did. And could you guess how it went down?

The same as last week.

Equally matched, equally admired, equally cheered on. They fought and fought, and after many minutes, just like before, they stood apart, panting and huffing away. Neither could get the upper hand over the other.

Standing still, I watched as they finished their battle. In the back of my mind, I started to think.

 _What am I going to gain from doing this?_

 _Why should I do this?_

 _…Should I do this?_

"Shovel Knight!" Polar Knight's voice called out. I turned my head to him, but i couldn't bring myself to say 'yes, sir'. My throat blocked. Polar Knight gave me his usual commanding stare, pointing his arm out. I watched it emerge from his body in slow motion. I started to dread what he was about to say.

"It's your turn"

I turned my head, everything still seemed to be moving so slowly. Across the field, Shield Knight was waiting for me. Her stance, although slightly hunched from her exhaustion, was still determined. I saw Black Knight walking back towards me.

I took one step forward and the pain in my chest emerged. Ghost-like, it hovered in front of me, reminding me of the pain that would befall me if I were to take any further steps towards Shield Knight. She remained unmoved, her gaze meeting mine. I could feel many of my fibres and muscles aching to take another step.

But I couldn't. If I stepped to her, that would be it. Another crushing defeat. Another humiliation.

And another peg to separate us.

I couldn't do it. I started to feel as if there was something between Shield Knight and I. The way she looked at me. The fact that she came to see me after she had defeated me so soundly the previous week. I felt as if she liked me.

And I liked her.

But I couldn't do this. I couldn't face another defeat. It wasn't a breach of my duty and knightly code to refuse a battle, but the implications were massive. Could walking away from the fight be just as bad as losing?

I started to walk towards Shield Knight, who prepared her battle stance.

As I saw her do that, my decision was clear. I felt my hand loosen.

My shovel dropped to the floor. Gasps and whispers started to rumble around me. Shield Knight's brow started to rise as confusion flushed across her face. I stood utterly still, my heart pounding.

I couldn't do it. I was a coward. A fool. But I couldn't do it.

"Shovel Knight…" Shield Knight mouthed to me. "What the hell are you doing?"

And with that, I turned my back to her, and to everyone else…

…and walked away.


	11. Chapter 11: An Ultimatum

Chapter 11: An Ultimatum

The moment I walked away, I received notice that I would be banished from patrolling the rest of the day. I was imprisoned in my room, my door locked, and left to ponder the decision I had made.

I knew my end was coming. The following morning, guards came to my room. I had been summoned by Polar Knight.

"Ah, Shovel Knight. Please, take a seat"

These were the first words that Polar Knight spoke to me as I stepped into the room with trepidation. Polar Knight, sat behind his desk in his stony office, stared at me from across the room with an icy glare. As I took a seat by the side of the room near his desk, he turned his head to the open window, staring out of it. Sitting down, I watched as his face pulsed calmly with each breath. Occasionally, he would open his mouth to speak, but no words came out. I remained completely still. I dreaded his words, yet a small sense of rebellion from the day before still lingered in me.

Screw the system, my mind told me. Stay utterly still, my body responded.

"…Normally, you wouldn't even be sat here right now" Polar Knight said finally, reclining in his chair, his face unmoving but for his mouth. His tone was deep and pondering. "When a knight disobeys an order from his superior…and walks out of a training session before being formally dismissed, it is usually punishable by instant excommunication from the Order of the Shovel. Do you…understand this?" he asked, his eyes suddenly shooting towards me through his still frame.

"Yes sir" I responded quickly. The little rebel in me still wanted to convey some sort of non-conformism, perhaps as a way of trying to communicate my own pains and troubles. But my body, my adrenaline pumping through it, guided my every response. Polar Knight continued to look at me, his stare piercing through my armour.

"And when one member is excommunicated from the Order of the Shovel…do you know what happens to them?" he asked me.

"Yes sir…" I said, quieter this time. Two words came to my head.

The De-Shoveling. The Order of the Shovel's excommunication practice, in which a disgraced ex-member is forced to hand their shovel in before doing a walk of shame, where every member of the Order strikes the castaway across the back with their weapon. I have participated in this before; it is a brutal, yet necessary practice. The feeling of steel striking against one's unarmored back was unimaginably painful to watch. It was even harder to execute, and only a strong desire to see one's duty fulfilled guided my shovel to the exposed back of the disgraced. Many did not finish the walk and prematurely ended in a crumpled heap on the floor.

They were given no aid to stand up again.

"…There is a reason why the De-Shoveling is a brutal process" Polar Knight continued, his gaze drifting back towards the window. "It makes an example to be followed. When one joins the Order of the Shovel, one takes an oath in which they will eternally serve the land, the province and districts that one such knight would happen to be posted in during his or her time in the order. To protect and to serve, and to that extent, do everything in their power to make sure they are ready to protect and serve in optimal condition. At all times"

He looked at me again. I couldn't speak the words to defend myself.

"…I don't believe what you did yesterday is what I would call an effort to serve the realm, would you?" he asked me.

"No sir" I replied meekly. A small part of me decided to wonder at this point: why had I not been told I was to be excommunicated? Was Polar Knight simply making an example of me here and now, in his office? The little rebel in me started to rejoice.

"…I don't have to remind you, but I feel it is my duty to make very clear what went wrong here" Polar Knight spoke, articulating each word very carefully, intended for my complete and thorough understanding. "I ordered you to face Shield Knight at the training session yesterday in a practice duel. You refused. You dropped your shovel and walked away, and by doing so, not only did you ignore my strict orders but you also set a horrible, unforgivable example to you comrades and to your shielded counterparts"

Polar Knight then stood up and leaned across the desk, his stare sinking further into my heart. I had never felt so intimidated by anybody before, but knowing what was going to happen to me, I felt death, denial and disgrace creeping on me like a curse. I felt the end coming. The shovels were already striking against my back, a dull, growing pain emerging from where I imagined them landing. I shifted uncomfortably in my chair and tired not to meet Polar Knight's glare.

"You made a fool of yourself and of the Order of the Shovel" he spoke to me, a poisonous passion creeping into his voice. "The Order of the Shield believe us to be quitters because of your actions. Does this make you proud of what you've done?"

"…No, sir" I cracked. My throat seized up with fear, a croak was all I could manage.

There was a short silence. After a minute, I slowly looked up to see that Polar Knight had turned back to his window.

"…As I said in the beginning, I would normally be telling you that your excommunication is imminent" he explained. "But that is not going to happen to you, Shovel Knight" He turned to me as his words slowly registered. "I want to know why. Why did you refuse to duel Shield Knight? What could possibly be happening between the two of you that would cause you to act so irrationally? You have been the longest serving member of the Order of the Shield in Pridemoor Keep, you are the man who sets the bar and the image for our troop here. Why, of all times and places, why did what happened yesterday…happen?"

I thought of Shield Knight. I thought of what seemed to be a deep seated emotion in my heart that had started to grow bigger, I could not put a name to that emotion, but it was the sole problem to the irrational behaviour I had exhibited. Whenever I saw Black Knight, camaraderie was replaced by jealousy. Whenever I saw Shield Knight, I felt fear, excitement; I felt my mind flurry and a million thoughts go racing through it. I could not name this complex and pesky emotion, this feeling that had caused me to land in such a terrible situation.

But it's what I felt. Facing her that day, the thought of losing again to her was far more crushing than a shovel to my back. I did not fear losing to her. I didn't really fear what other people thought of me.

It was her who I was scared of most. Losing to her, and as a result, what **she** would think of me. The rest could go to hell.

But my mind, once again, could not speak the words. In such a state of fear and anxiety, my mind and body became halved, severed, unable to cooperate. Instead, my croaking voice and my adrenaline gave its safest answer.

"…I don't know, sir" I wheezed, my breath suddenly catching. I heard a slow, audible sigh come from Polar Knight's lips; I knew it wasn't what he had wanted to hear. But I had nothing else. I started to realise what I had done yesterday caused me to lose so much more than my dignity.

"Be that as it may, then" Polar Knight continued, sitting back down in his chair, looking back out to the window. "Perhaps one day you will have the courage to tell me why. But today, it seems, isn't that day. Now…"

He darted his glare back at me, folding his arms.

"What happened cannot go unpunished" he explained to me. "The first thing I must do is banish you from any patrol work for three weeks. You will be allowed from your room and free to use the underground training facility as and when you please. Clear?"

"Yes, sir"

"That isn't all, however. In three weeks, I want you to report to training. You will not be participating in the session itself. Shovel Knight…"

He turned his chair towards me and leaned back on his desk. Judging by the laboured breaths he was taking and the heavy, pondering thinking, even Polar Knight was struggling to find the words. My heartbeat remained at a fast pace as I feared his next words.

"…What you did was almost unforgivable. You tarnished the name of the Order of the Shovel, you disrespected your oaths and you have disgraced yourself. In normal circumstances, there would be no redemption for you. However, I will give you one chance to put this dreadful deed behind you and behind the order, so we can all move on and forget it ever happened. Disregard it as a blip"

"…And what will you have me do, sir?" I asked, the adrenalin still speaking for me.

"You will be facing Shield Knight again" he revealed to me. "In three weeks, at the training session, you and Shield Knight will conclude the session with a one-on-one duel. Black Knight will not be fighting before hand. It will simply be you versus her. If you win…then you prove that you are willing to commit once again to your oaths and you will restore some pride and dignity to the Order of the Shovel. In victory, you shall be redeemed and you can begin to re-earn your trust and place amongst us. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir" I said slowly. A single with duel with Shield Knight, as should have happened before, to right the wrongs of the past. It was fitting test. But I had to ask the inevitable. "And what if I lose?"

"Then you are excommunicated with immediate effect"


	12. Chapter 12: Three Weeks

Chapter 12: Three Weeks

That night, I did not sleep. I lay solitary on my bed, my eyes once again fixed upon my roof. Thoughts ran through my mind like train tracks, with each passing carriage of a freight train bringing a new question, a new scenario to dream, a new possibility.

Three weeks. Twenty one days, soon to become twenty. In three weeks time, my ultimate fate will be decided. Five years of undying service, and in three weeks, I would find out whether it would all be undone.

I wondered what Shield Knight must have been thinking. I wondered whether she knew that she would be facing me in three weeks; I wondered if she knew the stakes that were involved for my sake.

I turned in my bed. What was it about her that made me feel so… _strange_? Half of me could not wait to see her again, yet another half of me utterly feared her. The thought of potentially passing her in the corridors filled me with a toxic admixture of excitement and dread, enough to knock one's appetite clean away. Her beauty was becoming more and more undeniable to me; her face continued to appear in my visions when my eyes were closed. Her face etched within my head, her strength still etched upon my chest from where she'd struck me before. All this, and I'd barely had a full conversation with her yet.

And every time I thought of her, I thought of Black Knight.

Black Knight was my closest ally for years, yet in these last couple of weeks, I have never felt more distant. Watching him go toe to toe with Shield Knight as I lay crumpled on the floor awakened new feelings within me, new opinions about the man I once called my closest ally. We have barely exchanged words since that moment, and I imagine now he would be in no mood to exchange any more words with me for a long time.

Was it their camaraderie, Black Knight and Shield Knight? Was it the mutual respect they must have had for each other due to their duel? Was it the fact that I could no longer hold solid claim to being the Order of the Shovel's prime knight?

Well, that last fact certainly isn't true anymore. I was lost at sea, lying in my bed, feeling the cold chill of the night creep under my duvet. None of my co-knights would consider me a fellow knight after my display.

I turned around in bed once again, the restlessness getting to me. I thought about the oaths I took when I first joined the Order of the Shovel: to act in the best interests of peace and justice at all times. Was it true that I could have just lost interest? Perhaps my loss to Shield Knight finally signalled a deep seated, subconscious desire to perhaps move on to new talents? Perhaps I was not born to wield a shovel as I had thought before? Maybe my true calling lay elsewhere?

And then, just as I thought of such a thing, she returns to my mind. Shield knight. The image of her standing there, loose wisps of hair falling from her helmet and waving in the wind. Her strong, armoured figure, her graceful poise and determined stance.

I was becoming enamoured with this woman. And the worst part was that the Pridemoor Ball was in four weeks..

It had been in my mind to perhaps entertain the thought of taking Shield Knight onto the floor for a dance. Yes, the moment I heard there was a ball happening in Pridemoor Keep, Shield Knight appeared to me as a potential candidate to do the honours with. I didn't even think anything romantic of it. But now, the thought filled me with that same mix of dread and excitement as it does whenever the prospect of her presence comes to me. And dancing with her? More fear than ever fills my chest just even speaking the words.

Perhaps one day, all these things will come true for me. Perhaps I can defeat Shield Knight. Perhaps i can take her onto the floor. And perhaps I can finally make sense of all these strange feelings and events. To blow the dust from the situation and make clear all that has remained unclear to this point.

The next day, I trained.

Hard.


	13. Chapter 13: A Snubbing

Chapter 13: A Snubbing

 _Two and a half weeks until judgment…_

* * *

The passing days did nothing to quell the turmoil that I felt inside me. My stunt had begun to dawn on me: I was an outcast. Although I saw very little of my fellow (or ex-fellow) knights, I felt a cold air amidst any company that I kept. In the blink of an eye, I had changed to them. It was like I didn't really exist.

And yet I didn't let it deter me. Each morning, I rose and I went to the training room before anybody else had the chance. I suppose not having to do patrols had its advantages. I would go in and I would continue to sharpen and refine the skills that had failed me in my first confrontation with Shield Knight. I would also work on my courage, to never allow the second failure to ever happen again. A warrior must be strong in both mind and body.

If only I could solve these new, strange feelings that had awakened in me. The new defiance, the odd, stomach churning feelings that accompany the thoughts of Shield Knight; all this and more.

A few days after my initial hearing, I was in the training rooms once again, working tirelessly. The strange energy that came with being an outcast allowed me to perform at peaks that I had never thought possible. I felt energised by the whole drama. There I was, working away, when I heard the doors to the training room open.

I didn't turn to look at who had come in to begin with, but as I heard metallic footsteps drawing closer, I allowed myself a moment to see who was approaching.

I shuddered when I saw him. It was Black Knight. He was alone.

I continued to train. My mind filled with turbulent emotions and thoughts, but I could not allow his presence to deter me from my own goals. It was the first time I had seen him since Polar Knight's ultimatum as handed down to me. I started to think: could I be feeling my old friend's shovel crack against my spine in under three weeks' time?

The footsteps stopped, their metallic clanging having been close to me before their cessation. I continued to train, but every passing second filled me with more unease than ever. Each shovel strike against the dummy became weaker and weaker, and before long I stood still in the silence.

Do I turn around?

I felt his eyes on my back. I wonder what Black Knight had to say to me about what had happened. Black Knight was a very proud person; he placed honour and duty above all else. But even I wondered whether our friendship would cause him to speak a few words to me. I wondered whether I had just imagined him walking into the training room. Perhaps he wasn't behind me at all. Was I going to try this?

I turned around. There was no imagining it; Black Knight stood there, his arms folded, staring right at me through his own helmet. Utterly still, the man just stood and stared with his arms folded, like he always did. Nerves built inside me as I eyed the man stood across the room from me. About ten feet or so separated us.

Silence reigned between us.

"…Black Knight" I said finally.

"Do not speak to me" Black Knight spoke suddenly, surprising me. He remained statue-like as he talked, poison dripping from his voice. I decided to remain silent, a strange mix of anger and fear bubbling within me.

"You…you sullied the name of our order" he continued. "Only a coward walks away from a challenge"

What did this fool know? How could he stand there and criticise me so when he did not understand the true, deep nature of my feelings? Of course, walking away was the wrong thing to do. But the internal struggle that I had faced up to that point, the inner battle for my pride raging as he stood up to Shield Knight, the feelings she had started to bring to me; how could he not even try to empathize? Shield Knight had not only started to unlock a growing affection that had previously never existed for me, but she had also opened a Pandora's box of emotions. I faced thoughts and feelings I'd never been accustomed to, and for once, it felt like there may have been more important things than the order. Things deep in my mind and soul, the very questions of life and living, meanings and realities so deeply ingrained that up until now I'd only scratched the surface. The deep-cutting, true, real feelings; why could Black Knight not understand the hell I was going through? Why could he not understand why I walked away?

Yet I said nothing. I stood still as he continued to attack me verbally.

"We all know of your coming fate" he continued. "No more running. If you fall to Shield Knight as you have before, you shall face the De-Shoveling. And I will be glad to land the first strike onto your puny, traitorous back"

Black Knight span on his heels, turning his back to me.

"And if you succeed" he said quietly, beginning to walk away from me. "…I'll strike you down anyway"

I closed me eyes and tried to suppress the anger that had boiled inside me. Years of friendship, and this was how it ended. It truly seemed that Black Knight held his duty above all else. Even his friends.

The door to the training room opened again, and Shield Knight emerged from behind the door, walking into the room.

Those feelings again. The skip of the heart, the slight nervousness, the choking up of the throat.

But as she walked past me, he did not look to me. Her eyes, sullen and sad looking, were gazing towards the floor where she walked. Her back hunched ever so slightly.

In Black Knight I felt anger.

But in Shield Knight, I felt disappointment. And that is what hurt most of all.


	14. Chapter 14: The Inn of Pride

Chapter 14: The Inn of Pride

The Inn of Pride; otherwise known as 'the local' for all the residents of the village. Situated deep within its centre, the boozy establishment served as a watering hole for all the village's residents. At the sundown of every day, it would fill with an amalgam of interesting people from all walks of life; workers coming in from a hard shift, families looking to have a social evening together, lovers chatting at the bar, and occasionally a couple of drunken, solitary figures leaning over the bar, fist firmly clamped upon the handles of their tankards, their heads bowed in a quiet misery.

I suppose that last person I described would be me tonight. The shunning I received from Shield Knight, as well as Black knight's crass, unkind words, had made me feel as blue as my helmet. I very rarely got the chance to grace the Inn of Pride during my days and nights of service, but this situation I found myself in granted me a rare opportunity. I would have a go at drinking my sorrows away and potentially lift this heavy heart. After all, if endless rumination wouldn't solve the conflicting and confusing emotions in my head, perhaps a few glasses of beer might.

So I put on my lightest set of armour and made the short trip down from the castle to the town.

The Inn of Pride was a low-lit, musty kind of area, with creaky wooden floors and pillars holding up it's two floors. The inn had rooms for those who wanted to stop in the village overnight (or enjoy the company of a lady. Not my bag personally, I'd rather spend the night with my shovel) and despite being lively, it wasn't loud enough that you couldn't hear yourself speak.

I made my way to the bar, at the one lonely seat left. A portly bartender with a great, twirled moustache approached me.

"Howdy" he spoke to me. "What'll you have?"

"House ale" I replied glumly. The atmosphere may have been lively, but I certainly was not. The ale and money exchanged hands, and soon I was sipping my ale through a straw fed into my visor (what, you think I'd remove my helmet in public? Nonsense!).

Minutes became hours, and one ale became three. I sat there at the bar, drinking and thinking. My mind ran its circles once again, and despite the buzz of the beer tingling my face, it didn't help. My heart still felt glum. My days started to feel numbered. I began to think that this was perhaps my fate; to sit here at this bar and drink my sorrows away. Before long, I thought, I'd have plenty to be sad about.

What if I did lose to Shield Knight?

What if I did have to face the painful humiliation of the De-Shovelling?

What if I would never be a knight again?

It always seemed to me that new, dangerous questions seemed to surface as the reality of my situation dawned on me. Clearing my third glass of ale, it just started to feel like too much. Perhaps I should just give up and walk out of town. This was never going to work.

I felt like a failure.

"…You look like you're havin' a rough time, my friend"

I looked up to the source of the voice. It was the bartender, his portly, well-dressed frame cleaning out one of the tankards. The bar had started to quiet down a bit, and I quickly realised I was the only person left sitting at the bar.

"...I suppose so" I murmured.

"Do you want another drink?" he asked me. "If you're willing to chat, I can make this one on the house; we pulled in a good profit today"

I didn't reply, and my reward was a free fourth ale. The bartender placed it down beside me and pulled up a chair on his side, quickly pouring himself a glass of bourbon in a clear, small glass. "Don't mind if I do…" he murmured to himself as he poured his beverage. I wasn't exactly sure why this bartender suddenly seemed to want to chat to me, but as he raised his glass to clink against mine, I returned the gesture almost instinctively. He sipped his drink while I started vacantly into the space next to him. I didn't really feel like saying anything. Just staring seemed to be enough for me in this moment. Eventually, the bartender started to speak to me.

"…I know who you are" he said. "You're…Shovel Knight, right?"

I nodded.

"And it's clear that something is wrong, isn't there?" he continued. "I don't believe I've seen you here in this ol' establishment before, but you're havin' quite a nice amount of drinks right about now"

I nodded again.

"…So what's up? You can tell me; we don't close until 3am"

I looked up to the man's face. His expression, one of content happiness, never seemed to change. His pudgy face seemed to keep his eyes almost permanently shut and his round cheeks were able to flourish behind the shield of his significant white, curly moustache.

It seemed like a face I could trust.

And little did I know, my story started to come out. I told him about my service to the Order of the Shovel and the pride that I took in fulfilling that service. I told him about the arrival of Shield Knight. I told him about the training session where she defeated me in one fell swoop. I told him of the feelings that I had started to feel for Shield Knight. I told him of the friendship that she and Black Knight seemed to share, especially in training. I told him of their epic, no-winners duel. I told him of the shame that I felt as I was forced to watch having just been beaten again so quickly. I told him of the developing feelings that I had for this woman who had entered my life. I told him of the pain that struck me deep in my chest whenever I saw both Black Knight and Shield Knight together.

I told him how stupid I felt whenever I felt those feelings upon seeing them together. I told him about the jealousy that I seemed to feel. I told him all about the sleepless nights and the lucid dreams where she would appear to me. I told him everything about her and everything I liked about her. I told him about the fear that I held deep within myself about ever wanting to try and pursue the matter any further. I told him that these feelings and this discussion logically led to that moment.

I told him of the moment. I told him of the moment I walked away from her. I told him about the moment I walked away from potentially everything. I told him of the whirlwind of emotions and thoughts that were swirling and turning inside of my head, the maelstrom of guilt, anger and sadness, the prevailing rebel that willed me to tale each and every step out of that courtyard that damned day. I told him of the consequences. I told him about the De-Shovelling. I told him about the ultimatum that had been laid upon me. I told him how much time I had left. I told him how I felt about this. I told him about the sessions I had been undertaking in the castle gym, and the encounters I had with both Black Knight and Shield Knight. I told him about everything.

And through it all, he listened intently. Every word, registered. Every thought, considered. Every emotion, administered.

Eventually, I ran out of words. My spiel had finished and I continued to stare into the same distance that I stared at in the beginning, even before the bartender had decided to talk to me. Throughout my speech, he seemed to have helped himself to three or four whiskeys, and we both seemed to be on the same plane of drunkenness. I had finished my fourth (free) ale.

Do you know what he said to me?

"That feeling you were telling me…sounds like you're in love, my friend"

* * *

 **Author's note: Funny little story: I almost uploaded one of my university essays as a chapter on accident. Wouldn't that have made for an interesting twist in the story?**


	15. Chapter 15: Falling in Love

Chapter 15: Falling in Love

In love? Me? Is this the explanation to all of this?

Was I in love?

The bartender's suggestion stunned me for a few seconds. I felt heat rise through my armour.

"…No, I don't think so" I mumbled instinctively. But I instantly doubted myself. It was hard to feel so certain; the suggestion hit me strongly. The bartender looked at me with skeptical eyes.

"You don't think?" he asked. "I wouldn't be too sure based on what you've been telling me"

I decided to humour the man. "Go on then" I dared him. "What's your reasoning?"

The bartender chuckled to himself, his jolly accent poking through his long moustache.

"Well it's quite obvious!" he said, shifting in his chair. "You haven't stopped talking about the girl once!"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Everything…everything that you told me seems to revolve around this woman…Shield Knight, was that it?" he asked. I confirmed before he continued. "Yes, this Shield Knight lady. All the 'key' events that you've spoke to me about; she seems to factor into them in some form or another"

This was certainly true. Ever since she arrived at Pridemoor Keep, the details I wished (and decided) to remember always seemed to involve her.

"She was central to your defeat at the training ground" he continued. "You always dreamed of her, always thought of her. You mentioned her name many times to me while telling your story. Even things like your gym sessions and your souring friendship with Black Knight…it seems this Shield Knight lady is a pivotal factor in everything your life currently revolves around. Am I correct?"

I started to feel pieces falling together. My heartbeat rose; was all this down to simple infatuation? Being in love? All my thoughts and interrupted nights, the determination of my relations with Black Knight; they all involved Shield Knight. I sometimes felt the conscious need to acknowledge her, especially when it concerned my current predicament and how I got into this mess. Thinking of her, and ultimately thinking of the fate-defining fight we will have, is all a conscious decision.

And then there would be times when she would appear despite my intentions. In my dreams.

But could this really be the product of being in love?

"But how can I know for sure?" I asked the bartender. "If you're saying I'm in love, then what should I feel?"

Ask a silly question, I thought. Feeling hot under the collar should have told me exactly how I felt. But I still wanted to deny it, surely I couldn't be in love? I was always taught that love wasn't very becoming of a knight. The only love I was taught to embrace was the love of service.

"I can understand that you must be feeling somewhat…conflicted by all of this" the bartender told me. "Being in love can be a wonderful thing…it's also a confusing time for those involved as well"

I continued to feel hotter beneath my breastplate and helmet as the bartender assumed that these feelings were one of love. Even if I hadn't decided upon it myself. Still, I felt the need to play devil's advocate, so I did.

"So what do I do?" I asked, excited by the new prospect of actually pursuing something other than the good of the realm (the beer was getting to me by now, I must admit). The bartender started to chuckle again, also getting caught up in the excitement.

"Well, you mustn't lose your cool" he told me. "I know that you have a very, very important battle coming up"

It was a fight that did dampen my spirits thinking about it. As much as I felt the need to train and be ready for it, the thought of losing, nay, the **possibility** of losing brought me down. So much so tonight that I felt defeated already.

"I'm not gonna win" I admitted. "Shield knight is such a good warrior. I don't think I can match her skill"

"Well…even if you lost and your time as a knight comes to an end" the bartender posited. "…it doesn't mean that you'll never see her again. Just remember: being a knight isn't everything! I'm sure you'll find opportunities to see her"

"You really think so?"

"Of course I do! Don't worry too much about whether you're still a knight or not; the important thing is that you remain true to yourself and show the good side of yourself to her at all times"

"But when I walked away from the fight and got myself in this situation…"

The bartender then leaned in closer to me, a series expression adorned across his face. I'll never forget the words he told me.

"It was for a human reason, Shovel Knight. No knight, and I mean not a single knight, can ever be able to shield themselves from human emotion. The situation that you find yourself in today is not because of your failure to serve. You simply did what any other person is capable of doing; you fell in love. And as trivial as many of us can treat being in love, it can have serious implications. After all, the greatest of relationships and the most powerful of families…they all start with someone falling in love with someone else"

I could only reply with one thing.

"…But what about Black Knight?" I asked timidly. The bartender stared to bob and chuckle once more.

"Forget him. He wouldn't make a good lover from what you've told me. The only thing he'd know how to love is his service"

* * *

Late that evening, I wandered tipsy back to the castle and back to my room. I didn't even bother to take off all my garments before collapsing onto my bed. My brains till addled with ale; I quickly drifted off to sleep. As my last vestige of consciousness left me, I finally felt the strength to admit it. I smiled.

 _I'm in love with Shield Knight_.


	16. Chapter 16: Cold Shoulder

Chapter 16: Cold Shoulder

 _Two weeks until judgment…_

* * *

I was watching the training session from my room up in the castle. The rain was pouring and the training ground looked as grey as ever. The knights, both shovel and shield, looked like ants from up here. Through the sounds of the howling wind, I could hear a voice growling and barking orders.

"Aaaand….change!"

"Come on, you dogs! Strike harder!"

"Show those shovel wielding fools who they are dealing with!"

I had noticed for a while that the vocabulary from Garuda had always held a sense of competition. He was always out to prove that the Order of the Shield could best my own order at fighting and defensive tactics. Every session, of which I would be woken by the sounds of Garuda and Polar Knight's command-yelling, seemed to grow in ferociousness and competition.

It felt as if there was more at stake to each practice, as if there was a battle coming up. Perhaps my temporary excommunication had led to this increase in strict training policy. Maybe they were out to weed more people like myself.

I shook my head and scolded myself. I am not a weed. The bartender was right; the reason why I refused to fight Shield Knight was not one out of a lost love for my service. It was for a found love of another person. The emotion that was subconsciously beaten out of my during my time in the Order of the Shovel had resurfaced. It was natural. Feeling this inside me, it suddenly stuck me how cold-hearted both Orders were. They, and even myself not too long ago, trained with the impression that there was no room for love in our lives. Our duty and service was to remain loveless at all times. We were trained to be efficient machines of service.

Come to think of it, the soldiers on patrol did seem to look a lot more fatigued lately. Little hunches appeared in their posture as I glanced them in and around the castle. Ever since the Order of the Shield and Garuda arrived, a different tone was coming over all of us. Even Polar Knight seemed harsher.

How did I not notice this until now?

I shook off the thoughts and decided to go and train again. I trained every day, knowing that my time in the castle may be limited. But after the training, I was going to indulge in the one thing that my service to the Order of the Shovel never allowed me to do.

Some hours passed, and once my training had been completed, I left the underground gym, feeling stronger than ever (since my temporary exit, my training sessions increased in intensity, and as a result gave better results for me. Dare I say, I begun to feel confidence for my fated battle!). My hunt for personal betterment over, I started a new hunt: for Shield Knight.

It did not take me long to find her. She was patrolling the outer perimeter of the castle, floor six, just beneath the ramparts. The square patrol path offered views of the realm and was a relatively important patrol to undertake (unlike the one outside the King's bedchambers, that was a chore). As I made my way to the outer perimeter, trying to steel myself against the snubbing of other patrol knights, I finally spotted her walking slowly through her route.

I stayed where I was, watching her turn the corner. Her square patrol formation would bring her around to the corridor where I stood once again. Nobody else was around, and hopefully I would get a chance to speak to her. Studying the golden ornaments and many paintings of the King in the hallway, I patted my feet and tried to control the fast-beating heart that thumped within my breastplate. Minutes passed, and eventually she emerged from the other side.

I looked towards her; she seemed to be more radiant than ever. Past conversations with her were hard to remember as I saw her in this knew, infatuating light. Even with her helmet on, I felt my pulse race. Taking a deep breath, I decided to walk towards her as she patrolled towards me. As we were about to pass each other, I went for it.

"Good day, Shield Knight" I said to her.

She said nothing back and patrolled straight past me. Pain shot through my heart and chest; I had been snubbed. Again.

No, I thought. I didn't try hard enough. Nobody is around, perhaps a more engaging question would catch her attention. She had taken time off of her patrol before, maybe she would do it again? Even if she confirmed that she had no feeling or anything to say to me, at least that would be something. I decided to wait until she did her round again. More minutes passed. Eventually, she reappeared and I tried again.

"Ahem…Shield Knight, may I have a…" I tried to say.

"I cannot speak to you, I am on patrol" she said in an almost mechanic, rehearsed voice. I knew the line well: it was a line we were taught to say to anyone trying to distract us from our patrol. I never thought I would be the recipient of the line, but I knew what it meant. I tried to protest:

"But Shield Knight, I…" I said again, before being abruptly cut off by:  
"I cannot speak to you, I am on patrol"

Her voice seemed to rise on 'speak', conveying an urgency that she really wanted to be left alone.

"…Shield Knight" I said firmly as she made her way to the corner, back facing towards me.

She turned the corner, not even replying to me this time. Perhaps it was best if I tried again another time. Maybe she was just tired and angry from her training session this morning. I knew I could be cranky as well after being in the rain for so long. I retired to my room, and happened to spy a knight's patrol schedule on the way back. Shield Knight would be patrolling the same route again the next day. I had another chance.

* * *

 _Thirteen days until judgment…_

* * *

I made my way back to the sixth floor perimeter square again, this time a lot earlier than before (I would train in the evening, I decided). Perhaps if I spoke to Shield Knight at the beginning of her patrol before she got into the swing of her duty, she would be more able to give me a solid reply on how I stood with her. And as I expected, she arrived to her post. Straight away I walked up to her. I needed to talk to her, about anything, I just needed to get words out. I needed to figure out all these emotions inside and how she felt about all this.

"Shield Knight…" I said to her as I approached her. Helmet-less, she looked at me, before quickly darting her gaze back and marching.

"I cannot speak to you…" she started. I quickly cut her off and started to walk alongside her.

"Please Shield Knight, can I not speak to you for just a few moments?" I said quickly. I couldn't let Shield Knight know how I felt about her, but I needed some form of dialogue, **anything** , just to ease the tension. If she could talk, I knew we could feel better about the upcoming fight we had in store.

"I **cannot** speak to you, I am on **patrol** " Shield Knight spoke through her teeth. She started to march faster down the corridor, and at the risk of making too much noise, I let her go. As she turned the corner, I stamped the floor in my frustration.

I needed to speak to her! The pounding of my heart and the sweat dripping down my forehead only served to stress me further. My emotions were a whirlwind and I felt sick; I needed to speak with Shield Knight so badly now. The snubbing wasn't just a knightly vow, she was deliberately avoiding me. The increased anger in her tone frightened me, but I cared less and less for her stupid patrol and the stupid order she served. I just needed someone to talk to. As she approached around the corner, I started marching towards her.

"Shield Knight, stop ignoring me and talk to me now!" I found myself yelling suddenly, my emotions swiftly boiling over.

Extending my hand was a bad idea. I saw her rage build and she grabbed my arm, before pulling me in and grabbing the cloth beneath my neck armour with great strength. I felt the fabric pull around my neck and I struggled to breathe as her incensed eyes bore holes through me. I could even feel her molten breath firing through my helmet visor.

"Just stop it!" she yelled back at me. She threw me to the ground and I struck the concrete, cobbled floor with a great clanging thud. Holding my head as I fell to stop it striking the floor with force, I quickly gathered my senses as shock started injecting into my system. Shield Knight had just thrown me to the floor, and I stared up at her as she towered over me.

"I can't talk to you, don't you get it?" she seethed, trying to hold back her rage, fists clenched. "I'm not allowed to talk to you, nobody is allowed to talk to you, you aren't allowed to exist until our fight; don't you get it?"

I quickly scrambled to me feet, adjusting my wonky breastplate.

"Shield Knight, I can't deal with all this blatant ignorance anymore, I just need you to speak to me!" I pleaded to her.

"What you did was wrong Shovel Knight!" Shield Knight reprimanded. "Walking away from a fight in training is unacceptable! We're knights, we have to provide our very being to service!"

"But how can you be so callous?" I said suddenly. I wasn't even aware of what I wished to say anymore, the words just fell out of my mouth. "I'm going through hell with my emotions and all everyone can do is ignore me; do you really think that I walked away without a good reason? Don't you care at all?"

"Shovel Knight!" Shield Knight yelped in my face. "I…I…"

Slowly, her anger-filled face started to soften and fill with a sense of despair. "Shovel Knight, of course I care, but you have to understand…" She sighed and took a step back, shrugging her shoulders repeatedly. "I can't speak to you right now. Of course I believe that you wouldn't have walked away without good reason; you've been a knight for five years! But please Shovel Knight, you can't disrupt my own service, please understand that I just can't talk to you right now, okay?"

"Shield Knight, I don't mean to disrupt your service, but once you've finished patrolling I would like to speak to you privately" I said firmly. I needed something to come out of this. But Shield Knight sighed.

"I can't" she said immediately. "I just can't. Shovel Knight, you have to understand that...I just can't. Okay?"

As much as it hurt me to admit, Shield Knight was right. It would be wrong of me to drag her into this mess and get her into trouble. I decided to back away.

"…Okay" I murmured, defeated. Instantly, Shield knight started to patrol, a sentiment that hurt me even further.

But before she turned the corner, she stopped and looked to me. I saw a face full of concern and worry staring at me.

"…I'm sorry" she said quietly, before she turned the corner.


	17. Chapter 17: Breakdown

Chapter 17: Breakdown

The words rung in me as if I were a hollow barrel.

 _I'm sorry_.

From the moment I left the corridors and descended down the steps to the heart of the castle again, my mind filled once more with plaguing thoughts. What could Shield Knight truly be thinking about me? It was clear that my persistence paid off to some degree, her apology seemed to tell me that there was more to her than just a need to do her duty. That apology told me that somewhere deep down in that tank of red armour was a heart that maybe, _just maybe_ , cared.

It seemed to me that I could not be sure of whether the whole exchange had made me happy or sad. Happy that Shield Knight had broken her steely character to speak truthfully to me just once? Or sad that it took so much effort to get her to say but a few words?

Where do I stand now? I wondered aloud as I crossed through to the corridor just outside of the King's throne room. I would return there later to train…

"You!"

A powerful, hoarse voice cannoned through my ears. Startled, I quickly spun on my heels. A great shade enveloped me, and a figure towered over me in seconds. I looked up.

It was Garuda. His face twisted and snarled as he stomped towards me.

"Where do you think you're going?" he snarled at me. I started to feel depressed; not only was I confused, but now I was being bullied about by this thug.

"To my room" I mumbled, trying to walk past him. Garuda stepped in front of me at each chance, blocking my path.

"Cowards like you don't get rest when I'm around" he growled at me. I noticed that he was wielding his man-sized shield; being struck by it was a fate I would rather avoid at this point. So I stood still, hoping this little fracas would blow over quickly.

Garuda started to pace around me as I stood still, trying not to give him too much attention.

"Do you want to know something, little one?" he taunted. "Ever since your little _stunt_ , I've been making doubly sure that your lot doesn't even think twice about cowardice ever again! Ha! What a pathetic lot your little order is! In the Order of the Shield, such behaviour would be treated with instant excommunication and disgrace! You soft lot however, you think that a little showboating and some time to think is what it takes to make a true soldier?"

"I get it" I said quietly, turning around to him as he paced around me. It was so strange; before my exile I wouldn't have even dared speak to Garuda in this manner. But my situation made me…a different person. I could essentially live as a free person, especially if my fate was out of my hands until the judgment day.

Which meant I didn't have to take needless abuse from this overgrown fool. My common sense begged me not to anger him for fear of injury, and possibly being made to forfeit my match with Shield Knight as a result. But common sense and bravery often don't go hand in hand.

My little remark caught Garuda's attention and brought his pacing to a stop. He trend his scruffy head to me.

"What did you say, you little worm?" he snarled again.

"I said I get it" I replied, louder than before. My heart thumped loudly, but I felt little reason to care. "Look, I'm just trying to get to my room. Is there a point in this or are you just here to berate me? Because if you do, I have more important things to be dealing with"

Like when I spoke with Shield Knight earlier, the words just seemed to fall out of my mouth. I felt more and more like a new person with every interaction. However, this freedom of speech didn't sit well with Garuda, who started to pace towards me intimidatingly. I'm not afraid to admit I felt scared for my wellbeing.

"You…" Garuda spoke quietly as he stepped up to me again, overshadowing me. "You need to watch your mouth. Do you know who you're speaking to? Don't you know I can end you in an instant if I wanted to?"

People had started to gather in the corridor; some knights from the gym under the throne room had stopped to watch the festivities, as well as some patrolling knights. Among them were some knights of both Orders of the Shovel and Shield. The people who treated me like an outcast had come to watch me get my comeuppance.

Or did they?

"The way that I see things, there's only one thing that matters to me right now" I spoke, defying the tower of strength and muscle standing merely inches in front of me. "And that is my fight in a week and a half. Whatever you say or do won't change how I prepare for that. So I don't see the point of you trying to intimidate me. It's…" I knew my next line would court trouble, but I decided to screw the notion. "…It's wasting my time"

Suddenly, Garuda lifted his shield and swung it at me. Instinctively, I rolled to the side and dodged the sharp edge of his massive shield, rolling across the floor before landing on my feet. I thanked myself quietly for the hardcore training i had done in the last week and a half as i steadied my feet. Garuda stood still, breathing and staring at the space where my mangled body should have been seconds ago. His shield remained raised in the air from the momentum of his bone-crushing swing. Slowly, he turned his head towards me again. This time, he looked livid. I heard the growing crowd 'ooh' as Garuda span around.

"You little whelp" he said. "You think you're tough stuff…don't you?"

"Garuda, stop" I pleaded firmly. At this point, a return to my room was greatly welcome. But Garuda was having none of it; he started to step towards me again.

"I am your superior, you little fool!" he roared at me. "I order you to stand still and allow me to smite you! Worms and cowards like you need to be punished and humbled!" He raised his shield with both hands, intending to strike me flat with it. But as he swung it down, my instincts kicked in again and I jumped back, watching as the shield struck powerfully against the floor, cracking the stone foundations. The sharp clang rang through the whole corridor. In the air, I flipped backwards and landed on my feet, falling to one knee to absorb the blow. Getting up, I saw Garuda, looking dumbfounded at me, still clutching his fallen shield.

Why was it only now that my better fighting skills were working for me? Could a week and a half of heavy strength and speed training really do so much?

"Boy…" Garuda snarled as he lifted his shield. This time, he didn't pace towards me. "You do _not_ want to make an enemy of me. Stand still and face my shield!"

This time, I'd truly had enough. My anger boiled inside me more than ever.

"Is this all you care about?" I yelled at Garuda suddenly, silencing the bickering crowds (which had gotten larger to about twenty viewers during the proceedings). "Hurting people? Training soldiers until they fall, and branding anyone with a slight sense of humanity as a worm? As a coward?"

No reply from Garuda; he just stared. I continued.

"This is all it is to you, you and you people!" I yelled, also directing my anger towards the crowd. "Fight, train, serve, fight, train, serve, and nothing else! The only sense of community is bred within these stupid themes! Ever since you and your _stupid_ order turned up, this is all we've ever done!"

"It's because you're weak!" Garuda spat at me. "Any collection of knights needs to have weakness beaten out of them if they are to serve any realm effectively!"

"But don't you get it?" I spat back. "Before you arrived, of course the training was tough. Of course the patrols were hard. Of course we all knew in the Order of the Shovel that our duty was to protect and serve. But at least the slightest bit of humanity that we had we were allowed to keep! We could go to village and talk to the townsfolk! Our treasure hunts were never under the highest pressure of any kind! We were allowed to have some semblance of a life! And then you turned up! You and your idiotic shielded knights, who think the best way to serve the realm is to breed machines! You're not people! And suddenly, look around you! Look at all these faceless, boring, uninteresting knights who watch this display like it's the fucking Ritz! These people don't know what it's like to live! When you came here, you and Polar Knight strangled any possible life out of us and made us all lifeless husks!"

"You fool…" Garuda mumbled. It seemed that my words were actually getting through to him. His body language seemed more limp than before.

"Don't you _dare_ call me a fool, Garuda!" I shouted. "You, of all people, calling me a fool? And all of you, watching this, like it's the best thing you've ever seen…" I directed my anger to the crowd again. "You'll happily sit and watch this go down, but only when my flesh and blood is on the line! Every day you ignore me! You're the sheep who listen to this idiot, who think that the best way to treat a human being is to ignore and isolate him! You treat me as if I'm invisible, simply because I showed something that you all happily ignore! Because I just so happened to have feelings! Emotions! Like any normal human! Is that so wrong? Well? Is it?"

I turned back to Garuda.

"Garuda, you can beat me up all you want, but in my eyes, you're no leader" I snarled, gritting my teeth. "You're no commander of mine, and you're a poor example to anyone wishing to be a knight. You're not a solider…you're a sadist!"

Within seconds, Garuda revealed something that I never knew he had.

Speed.

Within seconds, he had lunged towards me and gripped my throat with his massive hand. The crowd gasped. He lifted me into the air with one hand, squeezing my throat. My air passage almost fully closed, and I wheezed and gasped from breath. My lungs and heart felt like they were exploding; I felt all the blood rush to my head. My vision blurring, I could make out Garuda's eyes through my visor as he brought me close to him.

"And I just so happen to like it" he said quietly. "Perhaps I am a machine. Perhaps I am a sadist. But it's what makes a pure and true knight these days in my eyes. Humanity is for common villagers, bartenders and drunks. Immortality, to me, lies in the perfect service. And that doesn't include your shenanigans, got it?"

I couldn't answer; struggling to breathe was my only option at this point.

"Garuda, put him down now!"

The voice that called out from behind me belonged to Polar Knight. I could hear him rushing across the cobblestone floor. "I said put him down! He is not your knight to punish!"

Garuda yelled and threw me towards the wall. My neck was freed, but disorientation reigned as I flew towards the wall. I cracked against it with my back, my armour saving my spine from breaking into pieces like a cheap necklace. I slumped to the floor; my adrenaline pumped so strongly that it nulled all my pain and kept me dazed. I felt high.

"Polar Knight, this is none of your business!" Garuda yelled as he turned to Polar Knight.

"He is my knight" Polar Knight spoke calmly. "If any punishment is to be administered, it will be done under my command. Do you understand?"

"The boy's a weakling!" Garuda argued back. But Polar Knight remained unflinching. Frustrated, Garuda turned to me. "You pathetic little worm! In a week and a half, Shield Knight will crush you like a bug, and when it comes time for your excommunication, I'll happily partake in beating the living 'human' tissue out of your puny little body!"

His massive tantrum finished, he span on his heels and stomped away from sight, before shouting "Whelp!"

Bitterness. This was what I felt. Despite my stance, here I was again, slumped against a wall, beaten and hurt. The adrenaline ran low, I could feel a sharp aching pain run all down my back and head.

"Shield Knight, are you alright?" Polar Knight said to me as he approached me. I could not believe that this man, who had orchestrated my pitiful situation, would seek to help me. He reached his arms out and grabbed me, lifting me to my feet. Angry, I shoved him away, much to his shock and surprise.

"Get off me!" I yelled wearily. "You're no better…"

Humiliated, scorned and feeling more defeated than ever, I stomped out of the crowd, gladly shoving one of the knights out of my way as I marched back to my room to hide. The crowd remained until I had vanished from sight.


	18. Chapter 18: Three Diaries (Part 1)

Chapter 18: Three Diaries (Part 1)

 _In just over a week, they fight._

 _That traitor thinks that he stands a chance against Shield Knight as well! Almost every time we make our way down to the gym to train, there he is. Tucked away in his little corner, smacking the dummies or having taken a small monopoly of the training equipment. He keeps himself to his own and doesn't speak to anyone unless addressed._

 _And that is how it should be. The Order of the Shovel needs to show discipline when it is necessary. I never thought Shovel Knight would be the kind of person to waver in his duty, but even the most stalwart of people surprise you. He used to be so devoted to his duty! Never skipped a beat and never missed a patrol. He always spoke so lovingly about the people he served and the jobs that he had to do._

 _I considered him my equal, but now that he's broken off, I'm the guy in charge. Now that the Order of the Shield train with us, the sessions have gotten harder. I like it; Garuda's ways have opened my eyes to a new, harsher, yet more effective kind of service. It's clear that Shovel Knight couldn't handle the pressure._

 _He caved in._

 _He was weak. That can be the only explanation. Nothing else would interrupt the duty of the Shovel Knight I know. And soon, he will be gone. There is no way that he can defeat Shield Knight. How could he, when even I cannot defeat her? She is such a strong woman, with such staggering skill in the ways of the shield. It baffles me that someone like her can make such use out of essentially what is a plate of metal. Utterly staggering. Each time we face in battle, I cannot crack her style. The same applies to her when she fights me: we remain to this day at a deadlock._

 _In any case, in just over a week, they fight. And Shield Knight will win. I cannot for the life of me think how this scenario is going to pan out any other way. Training alone makes nobody stronger. It just makes them more alone. And when Shovel Knight loses, he will be alone. He will face the De-Shovelling. And though it will be sad to see my old friend go, it will please me more to know that the Order of the Shovel will be stronger and better without him._

 _Then Shield Knight and I can continue our business, our duties, without the distraction._

* * *

 _I heard that Shovel Knight and Garuda got into a fight today. Well, a scuffle. Or anything. Three different members of my Order told me three slightly differing stories about what happened during my patrol of the rampart square._

 _I keep a diary because it allows me to vent out the thoughts and secrets that should not interfere in my duty, and currently I am struggling with a great internal conflict. It's about Shovel Knight. That blue…strange knight._

 _On the one hand, I harbor a deep hatred for the man. He cuts such a sorry figure. I haven't a clue why he dropped his shovel and refused to fight me two weeks ago. I rack my brains daily to try and come up with reasons, but it just baffles me. He couldn't have given up on his duty: whenever he is in the gym he's working incredibly hard. I can see it, the relentlessness and the tirelessness in which he approaches his training. Unlike Black Knight, who I believe is a little too focused on looking strong, I feel that Shovel Knight does genuinely try to be strong in his training._

 _Which is why I hate him! Why does someone go to all this effort to be strong, just to drop their shovel and give up when it really matters? If he were in the Order of the Shield, then he would have been thrown out without hesitation. He would be seen as a coward, a fool. And when he did drop his shovel to me, I did see him as those things. A part of me still does._

 _And nobody, I mean_ _ **nobody**_ _, interrupts another knight's service in the way that he did. Not for any reason either. Personal matters can wait until a patrol, or any matter of duty for that instance, is done. I really didn't appreciate that he forced me to stop my patrol to speak to him. I hope throwing him to the ground taught him a lesson._

 _And yet, since the day he walked away, I find my mind is changing. Garuda is very happy when it comes to making an example of Shovel Knight. In the training, he is quick to remind us of the cowardly act. He is quick to demean and insult Shovel Knight, perhaps to serve as a warning that we shouldn't follow the same path. It makes perfect sense that the two would come to blows, but I'm not sure which account to believe when it came to who won. Garuda probably won, but I can't help but feel like I don't want to believe that scenario._

 _It's Garuda, a man I followed without hesitation or question, who is beginning to make me feel differently. I've never seen him so confrontational and quick to demean. He's vicious about Shovel Knight, and I find more and more that he is becoming less…human. I don't know why he hates Shovel Knight so much. Of course walking out of a training session like he did is unforgivable._

 _But…I can't accept that he did it because he was a coward._

 _Why would he train the way he does otherwise? And when he spoke to me, I heard pain and sorrow in his voice. It's easy to believe; no one will talk to him. Perhaps Shovel Knight doesn't deserve to be a knight, as I will seek to prove. But he does deserve his humanity; the way Garuda treats him and how we've been ordered to treat him…it's not right._

 _It should never be right. Nobody deserves to be treated like this. Shovel Knight made his mistake; now it appears that we all are making our mistakes in the Order as well._

 _I keep my silence for now and always will, I believe. But once this is over, I don't intend to see then end of Shovel Knight. Deep in that armor lies a kinder and sweeter soul than we're led to believe, and I refuse to bow down to the notion that he is only a coward and nothing more._

 _I just hope that come next week, this all works out. Maybe it is worth speaking to him before then, just to try and understand further what's going on in his mind._

* * *

 _Today was a strange day. I came across a confrontation between Garuda and Shovel Knight; Garuda had him by the neck, choking him. I broke up the confrontation and the crowd that had gathered._

 _During the proceedings, Shovel Knight pushed me. Usually, such an action would not be tolerated in the Order of the Shovel. But I allowed it._

 _I allowed it because I, myself, am unsure of everything that has started to unfold in the last two weeks, and even beyond that. Back when only the Order of the Shovel presided at Pridemoor Keep and it's villages, things were a lot simpler. We trained, we did our duty, and there were no questions asked. Everybody was motivated. Everything was fine._

 _During my seven year tenure here, nobody was more dedicated to the cause than Shovel Knight. He is my best pupil, and has become a fine knight in my eyes. He loved to learn and loved to serve in his own, goofy way. His fighting skills were very good. I could find little wrong with him._

 _And then the Order of the Shield came. And Garuda, my old friend and sparring partner from my early mercenary days, came with it. I had hoped that their addition to the keep would have been a bright and prosperous one._

 _How wrong I was._

 _From the beginning, Garuda has sought to prove that his soldiers are better than mine. His goal is not to establish an effective and strong knightly service at the province. His goal is to show that his Order is better than the one I serve. The training sessions gained a competitive edge that I believe has had a negative impact on everyone. And the first casualty of that…was Shovel Knight._

 _I would have excommunicated him without fail under normal circumstances. There has been many a time where I have bestowed the de-Shovelling to people who I once deemed to be great and effective knights. The shame that accompanied striking them across the back with my shovel was painful to do. But I could rest comfortably in the knowledge that they had done wrong. There were no grey areas, just a simple broken oath and a shovel across the back. That was all._

 _Shovel Knight's case, however, I feel I understand so much more than anyone else. I may not know the real reason, nor will I ever know, but all I know is that he threw his shovel down for a reason. Perhaps he is sick of the new regime here? I don't blame him. It hurts enough to be humiliated in front of your colleagues once, let alone twice._

 _This is why I've given him the lifeline, to battle Shield Knight again. It's the only compromise that Garuda would accept. I wish I could just excuse the whole shovel-dropping thing, but under this new regime, blood is the only way to settle things, it seems._

 _Since they came, I start to feel less and less convinced of my own oaths. And in addition,_ _ **they**_ _have started calling again._ _ **They**_ _seem to know of everything, and it frustrates me to write that I don't know how. They continue to petition to me to change my allegiances, and yet I burn each of their letters and hide those that won't fit in the fire place. Not even fire can stay their words._

 _With every passing day, my future grows in uncertainty. I shall wait to see what happens to Shovel Knight next week. I feel it will be significant._


	19. Chapter 19: Messages of Luck

Chapter 19: Messages of Luck

 _Nine days until judgment…_

Early morning, 6am. I awoke once again from my slumber, my mind focused on one simple task. To train. To improve and to build upon my skills. The countdown to the judgment day was solidly planted in my head. A countdown, a ticking time bomb to the moment of truth. Each morning made me more nervous than the last, but I knew that no matter what happened, only training could assure me of a better outcome. With every nervous morning came a determined attitude.

I was going to do this, I told myself as I rose out of bed, quickly shaking the tiredness from my eyes. Everybody who has isolated me, all of my detractors and critics…my desire to prove them wrong and earn my place in the Order of the Shovel grew stronger and stronger. I yearned incredibly for the moment of disappointment that all my 'comrades' would feel when they realised they wouldn't be striking me across the back with their shovels after all.

So you could imagine my surprise this morning when I found an unusual item sticking out from underneath my door.

It was a piece of paper with what appeared to be writing on it. From the bed, I could eye the ink and curved writing upon the paper. Mail was usually sent to us through the castle's mailing system and pigeonholes on the ground floor. And considering my position, receiving any mail at all was a surprise.

I crossed my room to the door and picked up the paper from the floor, yanking it from underneath the door. I examined its contents.

"Good luck"

I stood silently, my eyes scanning the two words written elegantly in cursive handwriting. Good luck.

Sarcasm was the first thing that came to mind. It was a hoax, or a prank of some kind! They way everybody had treated me; why would anybody want to wish me luck? It could only be sarcasm, they were wishing me luck because they were convinced I would lose.

Feeling the disgust rise in my stomach, I felt compelled to crumple the paper in my hand and throw it in the bin. But I repented. A niggling thought tugged at my mind.

What if it was a genuine sentiment?

Could I really have someone that was rooting for me? I didn't recognise the handwriting, but it sure was nice! Despite the impressive calligraphy, I could not decipher enough from this one letter to understand whether it was a genuine statement or a fool's jest.

I tried not to think about it too much. Knowing I had intense training to be getting on with for the day, I put the letter on my little desk.

* * *

 _Eight days until judgment…_

Another 6am rise. As much as I tried not to give attention to it, I noticed that the fatigue of the training was beginning to catch up to me. My muscles ached. Getting out of bed was a little harder. I couldn't give into those sensations though; the thought of skipping even one day of training was unfathomable, what with my judgment day looming closer and closer.

My mental state also seemed to be suffering as well. Was this heavy training really going to be worth it? What if Shield Knight defeated me, regardless of how hard I worked? Was I truly facing an insurmountable challenge? Should I just give up now and walk away forever?

The thought was tempting. If I could vanish in the night, I could at least move on and fade away in the memories of most. I could start a new life, and perhaps things would get better.

However, my negative thoughts were cut short. Rising out of bed, the first thing I sighted was the bottom of my door.

There were three pieces of paper.

I quickly shot out of bed, unaware of the wear and tear of my body, and grabbed all the paper with one grabbing swoop. Rifling through them, they all displayed a common theme...

"Good luck"

Three different papers, three identical messages. But what struck me the most was the handwriting; they were all different. I quickly gazed to the note I received yesterday morning and noticed that it didn't match the handwriting of any of the notes I held.

The conclusion? In the span of two days, four different people had sent this 'good luck' message under my door. Were they truly meaning it? Who were 'they'? Could they be the knights who routinely ignored me on a daily basis? The maids of the castle, perhaps?

Whoever it was, they knew of my impending challenge. I wanted to entertain the notion that this was a prank, a well-organised and executed prank designed to soften me up before Shield Knight dealt the killing blow. But the niggling thoughts stopped me. They weren't niggling anymore; they were strong, convincing thoughts.

Perhaps I did have some support after all. The possibility of such a notion dulled my pain and allowed me to train with full motivation. I prayed that night that this wasn't just a dream or a fantasy. Restless, I would occasionally look to the bottom of the door during the night to see if anyone slipped a note in whilst I slept. Unconsciousness conquered me before I could find out for myself.

* * *

 _Seven days until judgment…_

When I woke up, my door was blocked up at the bottom with paper.

Different handwriting adorned each piece, but they all held the same message:

"Good luck"


	20. Chapter 20: The Cake is a Lie

Chapter 20: The Cake is a Lie

 _Six days until judgment…_

* * *

My mind was wracked, trying to figure out the best candidate for the person, or people, who was sending me these messages. The words 'good luck' were etched in my mind as I searched for the answers.

Morning came, and I set out to search straight away. I asked everybody who I could ask. The nurses and maids, the servants, the squires. When they all turned to me and told me that they hadn't sent those messages (some were not even aware of my incoming battle). I then headed out of the castle itself and down to the village.

I asked random people on the street, who denied their involvement in it. I went around the shops and the armories, asking each and every single one of the shop keepers and the people in the shops whether they knew anything.

It all came back negative. I must have looked crazy towards the end of my search in the village, walking around at a fast pace, asking whether anybody had told me 'good luck'. However, for me it was only beginning to lead to one conclusion.

Could it be the knights who systematically ignore me on a daily basis? Are they the ones who were sending the messages?

Was Shield Knight involved in this?

Back at my room, I pondered the thought. My eyes were fixated on the small pile of good luck notes that had accumulated over the past four days (yes, some arrived this morning as well). I really couldn't fathom who could have…

* **knock knock***

My head shot up to the sound. It was my door. Someone was knocking.

I quickly rose to answer it: "Who's there?"

"A maid, sir"

Confused, I opened the door. It was indeed one of the castle maids, carrying a tray. Upon it sat a slice of delicious looking cake.

"Shovel Knight, sir" the fair faced maid spoke to me. "I bear a delivery for you"

I looked at the cake as well. Seizing the opportunity, I decided to ask about the messages.

"…Sorry sir, I don't know" she replied to me when I asked her. I asked who sent the cake. "They want to remain unknown, sir. Maybe they're shy"

The maid lifted the tray and held it away from her, offering its contents to me. Thanking her, I decided to take the cake into my room.

I placed the cake on my desk and sat down, staring at it.

First good luck messages, and now a slice of cake? What was going on? I studied the intricate design of the icing and the enticing white colour of it. The inside of the cake revealed a nice, clean sponge with a jam layer gluing two tiers together. It sure was a delicious piece of cake. Could it be that it was an extension of the good luck messages I'd been receiving recently?

My hunger overtook, and before long I was picking away at the cake while continuing to ponder the messages. I knew I would go training soon, but the cake was too good to resist. Its sweet tones, the sharp splash of the strawberry jam and the lasting taste of icing had me coming back for bite after bite. It was almost as good as that feeling I get whenever I would wield my shovel.

The cake didn't last long, and I licked the remainder of the icing off my fingers, leaving nothing but small crumbs on the plate where the cake once stood. My stomach felt content and full. Delicious stuff! And just in time, I thought; it was time to go train. The sweet taste somewhat motivated me, and after a quick stretching session in my room for about five to ten minutes, I grabbed my practice shovel and left my room.

* * *

As I walked down the corridor, something strange came over me. For some reason, I started to lose my breath. I never thought that simply walking down a corridor would take my breath so quickly. My stomach also felt heavy; I lightly regretted eating the cake. It's not good pre-workout food.

But things started to get worse. Turning the corner, the heaviness in my stomach started to change into a dull ache in my whole abdomen. There were knights and maids walking around me and I tried to keep my cool, not giving in to the pain. I didn't want to show a weak face due to cramp. It must have been cramp, I thought, I ate that cake so quickly. It must have been cramp.

My breathing got harder and harder. Within seconds, I felt like I was battling for every breath, forcing air in and out of my airwaves. Things within me started to clench. The dull ache grew and grew into a sharp, acute pain. I was sweating profusely. Indigestion, I thought to myself. Don't lose your stride, just walk it through.

The pain quickly turned into an excruciating, burning feeling in my stomach. My body had no choice but to stop. I started to panic, and in the ensuing pain my eyesight started to get blurry. I was really struggling to breathe; my heart started to thump like a hammer against an anvil.

This wasn't a cramp, I thought. This wasn't indigestion either.

Suddenly my stomach clenched, and vomit shot through my body and out of my mouth. The splattering, acrid smelling gunk seeped out of my helmet, and I could hear gasps around me. I had stopped completely and started doubling over.

Through the blur, I quickly looked at the colour of my vomit. It was blood red. Or to be more exact: it was blood. I was vomiting blood. The adrenaline started dulling the pain, but it took all my senses with it. I recall falling to a knee as hands started to grab me. Time itself seemed to slow down. The pain became incredible, and I found that I could not breathe.

"He…help…" I gasped through the foul smelling bile I'd just thrown up, struggling for breath, struggling for life. I could still just about taste the cake in the back of my mouth through all the other fluid. At that moment, just before I slipped into horrible unconsciousness amidst the hell of the pain, I realised what was happening.

I had been poisoned.


	21. Chapter 21: Dreaming of Her

Chapter 21: Dreaming of Her

Music. Sweet, soulful waltz music. Somewhere faintly in the distance the sound of a string quartet playing gentle waltz music was wafting through the air and into my ears.

Where was I?

What happened to me? Have I died? I opened my eyes.

A grand ballroom, with grand stone pillars encompassing a great, mahogany floor. A massive, exquisite chandelier hung above my head. The music was getting louder, but it swelled and swayed as if the strings could never stay in tune.

I noticed that knights were dancing around me. They were all fully armoured, geared out in their battle armour. I darted my eyes to examine them; some were covered in mud. Others were spattered with blood. Some knights had dented, unkempt armour.

It looked as if they'd been in a war.

I tried to speak, but no words came from my mouth. I spoke louder and then screamed. I tried to catch the attention of the whirling knights around me. They couldn't hear me. I noticed then that they were not dancing with anybody. They danced with shadows.

I caught a glimpse inside the helmets of one of the knights. I saw nothing but blackness.

Suddenly, before me, a figure appeared. It was a woman, with long blonde hair hanging down one side of her chest, her thick armour failing to hide her immeasurable beauty.

Shield Knight.

As the dancing knights swirled around her, she somehow remained untouched, like a miasma drifting through the air. Her gaze was fixed upon me, and I could not tear my eyes away from hers. The music continued to swell and sway as she approached me.

She took my left hand; we stood still amidst the furore of the empty knights around us. Without thinking, my right arm slinked around her back. Her free hand took a hold of my shoulder blade. We pressed close together and our eyes remained fixed.

We started dancing. I had no control over my legs; I had no control over anything. I felt nothing, physically. But my chest felt as if it were on air. Shield Knight looked right into me, a gentle smile upon her lips. I'd never seen her this relaxed or at ease before. I had no desire to leave her gaze.

Her face started to come closer to mine; the floor started to turn white and glow. I felt an incredible unease come over me, the music started to fade. I tried to keep my gaze on Shield Knight, but I couldn't help but feel something was tearing me away. Tearing and tearing…

Her cheek rested on mine, and she spoke softly to me…

 _"I love you, Shovel Knight"_

Then everything exploded into a sheer, silent white.

* * *

 _Five days until judgement…_

* * *

I screamed as I awoke. My eyesight was restored to me in an explosion of colour. All my senses returned, softness upon my back. My feet felt nothing. The smell was sterile, and as I looked around me, I saw a table with bottles of medicine upon it. The room I was in…belonged to me. My desk, the good luck notes, everything was there but the cake platter.

I was in my room. And I wasn't alone.

"You've awoken! Thank the heavens!"

I did not know the voice, but when I turned my head, I saw a maid beside me, who seemed to be organising more medicine bottles by the cabinet.

I wracked my brains to try and piece together what was happening. Here I was, bedridden. That cake that I'd eaten was poisoned; there could have been no other solution for my sudden illness.

Reminded that I had been poisoned, I felt my stomach give way. I fell back down on the pillow of my bed, my body contorting and writhing from the aching.

"Please, try not to move too much" the maid begged to me, noticing me fall down. She quickly placed a couple of fingers to my wrist to check my pulse. She then sighed. "You poor thing"

I did not care for my situation right now. I only cared about how I got into it. Who poisoned me? And why did they do it?

Had I even been poisoned? As the maid finished checking my pulse, I tried my luck.

"W-why…" I uttered; my breath was hard to catch. My throat felt as if it had been burned out by a blazing fire and squeezed tight. Each pained breath forced air through my raw windpipe, shaking me to my very foundations.

The maid didn't seem to hear my utterances, and so I gave up. My gaze, like always, was fixed to the ceiling of my room. Only this time, my thoughts weren't based on how I would approach my upcoming fight.

They now focused on whether I would even fight at all. My future now remained more uncertain that it had ever been in my life.


	22. Chapter 22: Courage

Chapter 22: Courage

Merely moments after the maid had taken my pulse, I could hear my door open. My energy drained, I could only listen to the ensuing conversation that started.

"Oh, Polar Knight! How are you, sir?"

"I'm well, thank you. How is Shovel Knight doing?"

"He's regained consciousness, thankfully"

"Is that so? Shovel Knight, can you hear me?"

I felt a pair of hands grab hold of me gently and hoist me up into a sitting position (pretty strong maid, I had to admit). It was true: Polar Knight was in the room, his great figure sitting across from me by my bedside. His face was one of sorrow and tiredness.

It didn't really please me to see him here, but the man had some answers to some very important questions that I needed ask. I turned my head wearily to look at him, my body still waving and faltering from the poison I had ingested. At this point, I didn't even know if I was dying or not.

We both looked at each other for a while, before Polar Knight let out a long sigh.

"How are you feeling?" he finally asked. "I'm…sorry about what has happened to you"

"…Who did this to me?" I asked, my voice hoarse but audible. I saw Polar Knight's eyes look downwards for a few second before he replied. It was clear even he was rattled by what had happened.

"It is true; you were poisoned yesterday" he revealed to me. "When we were busy trying to revive you, I had the alchemists in the village investigate the crumbs of the cake left on the platter you had here. Potent snake venom, it appears"

No wonder I felt like I'd been on fire internally. That poison must have burnt my throat and stomach out.

"How bad is it?" I asked. Despite the pain and suffering I was going through, I was alive enough to feel the sheer fear that came with my next question: "…Am I going to die?"

"No" Polar Knight said straight away, his quick rebuttal offering some relief. "Thankfully, when you collapsed, the medical team were fast enough to get the necessary potions into your system to nullify the poison. The very fact you're awake and conscious is a testament to your life being spared"

"So who…" I uttered. "Who did this to me?"

"I wish I could tell you, Shovel Knight, but I cannot" he replied. "I have ordered an investigation into figuring out who the culprit is. Whoever is behind this will face the full wrath of the Order of the Shovel"

"So the good luck messages…they were to distract me?" I hypothesised. It would make sense; receiving so many good luck messages would have lowered my guard, and in turn, consider the cake as just another gesture. Thus making the poisoning a piece of cake (no pun intended).

"I can't confirm that" Polar Knight said quickly. "We mustn't think too irrationally about this. The investigation should root out the culprit. Please just have faith in the system"

"Faith in the system?" I spat out suddenly to my superior's surprise, before I descended into a coughing fit. "You demean me to the point of complete irrelevance, and then tell me have trust in your system?"

I started coughing again, each coughing stabbing me again with a sharp pain. I doubled over as I coughed. Polar Knight kept watching.

"I understand your bitterness towards the Order, Shovel Knight" Polar Knight sighed. "If you choose to see those good luck messages as a ruse to hurt you further, you may. But just remember that you might be wrong" He firmed his tone: "Those messages may be genuine"

Once my coughing had stopped, I pushed through the pain in my chest to try and speak again.

"How long…will I be like this?" I asked him. "How long before I can train again?"

"If you take the medicine at the correct times, then you'll be fully purged of the poison in just a few days" the maid quickly interrupted. "But I really, **really** do not recommend that you go fighting so soon! Your body might not be able to cope with the sudden stress"

Frustration built quickly in me; I tried my best not to strike my fist against the sheets. Instead, I feebly looked to Polar Knight, as if to find a way to override the maid's response. But his expression remained the same.

"Considering the exceptional circumstances…" he began. "…Look, nobody expected this to happen. You were to fight Shield Knight in five days, and the result of that would decide whether or not your would continue to be part of the Order. The isolation? Yes, that was all part of the plan; you need to suffer this so you can remember the pain of going against the Order. Everybody knows and accepts this; even yourself knows and accepts this. But this poisoning event was not part of such a plan! Your suffering was never meant to be physical. Under these circumstances, it wouldn't be wise for you to fight in five days' time"

"So that's it then?" I said with vigour, finding the energy inside me to instigate a verbal fight back. I would have never dreamed of speaking to my superior of five years like this, but in Polar Knight's words, these were exceptional circumstances. "If I can't fight in five days, I just get kicked out? Is that what you want? Is that what you've always wanted, ever since I walked away?"

"Shovel Knight, please stop" Polar Knight responded feebly to me. "I never intended for you to be hurt like this. I'm hurt that someone would do this to my best pupil. I'm also hurt that my best pupil has put himself in the situation where we are all in today; like this. I have confidence you wouldn't have been poisoned had you not ever dropped your shovel in the first place"

There was a tense silence between the two of us. For a moment, the adrenaline from our argument had helped to cease the pain I was suffering. Breathing came to me a little easier than before.

"…I can change the date of the fight for you" Polar Knight revealed. "The Order of the Shovel has always believed in the right to fairness. It wouldn't be fair for you to fight while you're still recovering. Therefore should you accept it, I am happy to delay the fight for an extra week"

I didn't know why, but the proposition made me feel even angrier. I gritted my teeth; shouting wasn't within my ability, but communicating my distaste for the whole thing was on my mind.

"So that's how it's going to be, is it?" I seethed, much to Polar Knight's surprise. "For all this time, you have ostracised me and socially isolated me, treated me like I didn't even exist. I suffer abuse from your 'friend', Garuda, and I suffer the loneliness and pain of this punishment you've put upon me. And all this because I dropped my shovel? Do you even know why I dropped my shovel to Shield Knight?"

No reply from Polar Knight. I continued.

"It was because there is more to me than being your toy solider" I spat. "There is more to life than just training and fighting. When I first joined the Order of the Shovel, I loved the fact that despite the heavy training and the forever-ness of the service, we were still allowed to be _human_. We were still allowed to feel, to speak to people and to be somewhat free with our own wants, needs and personalities. But in the last few weeks? We're all armoured husks, drilled into living for nothing but fighting. And finally, I've decided to speak out against it. So here we are, weeks later, with me having been poisoned and reduced to near death, just for speaking my mind" I could feel a tear start to form in my eye as my emotions bore themselves to Polar Knight. "Do you want to know why I did it? Do you? Why I refused to fight Shield Knight? I didn't want to fight Shield Knight because…"

I was about to say words I thought I would never say.

 _Because I loved her_.

I held back.

"…Because I wasn't going to senselessly beat another human down, just for Garuda's pleasure. Or your pleasure either"

I could not believe it was all coming out in front of my superior, but I rolled with it. The world needed to know this built up anguish that I had suffered. Deep down, I hoped that people were gathered outside the room, creating another audience around me, hanging on to every word I said.

"So do you know what it feels like, to try and make a statement, only to have your freedom crushed? Do you know what it's like to have your life played around with by someone 'bigger' than you? Because **you** have been playing with my life for the last few weeks, and come to think of it, the last five years! And I am sick of this culture of silence that Garuda has bred within us. Most of all, I'm sick of you holding all the cards to my future, deciding on when and where I can fight for my freedom"

My killer line was near. I couldn't wait to unleash it.

"So, do you want to know my decision to your offer?" I asked him. "No. Take your extension and shove it. I will recover and I will fight Shield Knight in five days. And I will defeat her. Should I fail, I won't even give you the chance to put me through the De-Shovelling. This 'Order' that I used to serve has changed. It doesn't stand for what I stand for anymore. So regardless of the outcome in five days, I will be victorious"

"…Very well" Polar Knight said quietly, standing up. He turned towards the door and made his way to it.

"…And when I defeat Shield Knight" I added, just as he was about to leave. "…I might just go ahead and leave the Order of the Shovel anyway. You can say goodbye to your favourite pupil and settle for that lowlife Black Knight instead"

In anger, Polar Knight slammed the door behind him. I could hear him stamping down the corridor outside, getting quitter and quieter, until finally he was gone.

I was shaking. I had just told my superior to shove it. I slowly noticed that the maid was still in the room with me.

"It's…time to take your medicine" she said to me.


	23. Chapter 23: Shield Knight (Part 1)

Chapter 23: Shield Knight (Part 1)

 _Three days until judgment…_

* * *

The evening fell quickly. Weak and trying to recuperate from my near-death experience, I laid in my bed, looking out to my window and to the clear night sky. The stars were out tonight and their light, in sync with the light of the moon, showered the fields and farms outside of the castle in a lovely glow. Finishing the last of my prescription potion, I rested my back against the back of my bed and sighed. The medicine was working to eliminate the last traces of poison and I was able to walk around my room.

I thought deeply about the somewhat reckless decision I had made.

Was I going to recover on time?

As I twiddled my thumbs, I thought deeply about my predicament. Was it right for me to step up to the challenge and refuse an extension on my fight deadline? Was challenging Polar Knight the way I did really the right thing to do? Having calmed down, it came to me that I made this decision out of passion and intense fury.

Did I really want to leave the Order of the Shovel? A collective that I had enjoyed so much in the last five years? Why had it come to this? That I would be facing my life's greatest challenge, and that such a challenge would be self-imposed? Had I finally lost it?

Were my feelings for Shield Knight even true feelings? I remembered the swirling emotions that plagued me the day I dropped my shovel. I couldn't bear to be defeated again, but looking back, I believe it to be the moment when I started to consider Shield Knight as more than just another knight. We had hardly spoken, and yet this husky-voiced, unfeminine lady had managed to worm her way into my mind and my heart.

She didn't even need to do anything.

And now, here I was, lying in bed, with my most pressing hour slowly dawning. My heart and mind were both confused, and the one certainty I had in my fight was now also thrown into confusion.

I felt as if I were a lost captain, stranded on my boat. Alone in my room at the dead of night, with a crushing storm slowly approaching, providing certain doom within it...

There was a knock on my door, much to my surprise. Who would want to be visiting me at this time of night? I gazed at my door, where the knock had occurred.

Was I imagining things?

"…Come in" I said quietly. The door opened and my heart jumped into my throat.

It was Shield Knight. Still in her patrol armour, but her nonetheless.

"Shovel Knight?" she said as she emerged through the door. Her face was a look of concern, mixed with shock as she saw me, bedridden. As she stepped through, I tried not to let my nerves show. My heart, once again, was thudding within the confines of my chest.

"S-Shield Knight!" I semi-gasped, surprised. "Why are you here?"

As she closed the door behind her, she quickly pulled up my desk chair and sat down on it, hunched over the edge.

"I wanted to see whether you were okay" she asked. I wasn't sure whether I was anything at this moment; my mind was still trying to process the fact that Shield knight was actually in my room. In the flesh. So focused was my mind, I didn't register her question, and instead just stared blankly. Shield Knight took quick notice of this.

"Shovel Knight, are you alright?" she asked, her voice husky as usual. Her firmness snapped me from my trance, and returning to my predicament, I sighed.

"Well…" I started. "I'm…getting better"

As I looked across the room to her, I could tell that she appeared troubled. Shield Knight looked a little more tired than she usually did. The perfect posture in which she would usually carry herself was slightly misplaced, and the glow of her usually firm facial expression was absent.

"…I wanted to see how you were doing" she asked me, her head slumped but her eyes darting towards me. "I heard the news about you being poisoned a few days ago. I'm sorry I couldn't cone and visit sooner. Truth be told…I've finished up one of my patrols a little earlier than I should so I could come and see you"

"You did that?" I asked. "But wouldn't Garuda disapprove?"

"It'll be fine" she replied. "Nobody will really miss me for half an hour. I'm trusted enough that they wouldn't check up on me. And if so, I'll just say I made a mistake with time…"

A small silence hung in the air between us for what felt like so much longer. I kept my gaze to the sheet that covered me, half shy of looking at Shield Knight in the face, and half weary from everything that was happening.

Finally, the question I'd been suspecting from Shield Knight came from her mouth in trepidatious fashion.

"…How have you been doing lately?" she asked me. "Well…before you got poisoned"

Once again, I had to recall the painful events that have brought me to this point, I thought. Once again, I have to talk about being shunned, being ignored, training on my own, thinking heavily about my fate, and my thought on the Order of the Shovel. And Shield, for that matter too. I prepared my spiel.

Looking up, Shield Knight still kept the sad, weary face that she wore when she walked into the room. Suddenly, recalling my pain didn't seem like what I really wanted to do. It was so easy to be bitter and angry when it was with someone else, especially Polar Knight or Garuda. But when faced with someone who I desperately wanted to get along with, at the very, very least be friends with…I just couldn't unleash that anger again.

"…It's been horrible" I said quietly. "I've been so angry with everyone, and so questioning of whether I really deserve this. I suppose I do for deserting the training session…but these last few weeks have opened my eyes so much"

"What do you mean?" Shield Knight asked.

"Well, when it comes to the Order of the Shovel" I replied firmly. "I don't now whether all this time I've just been blind, or whether things have changed. Ever since you and the Order of the Shield came, things haven't been the same here at Pridemoor. I just feel so…inhuman"

"…Is that so?" Shield Knight asked.

"Shield Knight" I responded, a question coming to my head. I looked straight at her, ignoring my nerves and my shyness to face the woman who was capturing my heart with her ways. "Is this how it's always been for you?"

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"The training" I replied. "The service. Ever since Garuda came here, there's so much more pressure to be at our best. We have to give everything to the name of service and nothing else. Before, we had a little bit of time, like when we met at that armoury some time ago. With my suspension, it feels like I'm the excuse Garuda needed to really twist the screw on discipline around here. Every morning when I wake up and hear you guys training outside…it's just so much more vicious, unrelenting…" I paused for a moment. "The threats that one mistake will lead to excommunication, the strict adherence to every little rule and tradition, the brutality of the one-on-one fighting, the pitting of shield against shovel…is this really what a good life means to you?"

Shield Knight administered my words slowly, her eyes closing and digesting my thoughts. Eventually, she opened them again and took breath.

"Shovel Knight…" she started. "I know that we come from different backgrounds. The Order of the Shield isn't like your Order. We started as a mercenary group, with no real home or place to stay. So many times, we made Mother Nature our bed for the night. We braved cold nights, hot afternoons, the hardest of rains and the most painful blizzards. We've been searching for so long…"

She sighed as she thought about her next words. I felt no need to add anything; I sat and listened as intently as I could to the story that she would tell me.

"I was orphaned at a young age. I hardly know, or knew, what my parents looked like. I can't remember their voices, or the home I used to live in. If anything, my life truly began when I was on my own. I used to find ways of travelling from village to village, trying to find ways to survive. I'd steal food, beg for money, hitch rides on hay carts that would go from town to town. Some kindly inn owners would let me stay and work for them, but I never found anywhere to live. It was only until my teens when I realised that I had the knack to be a knight. That was when I encountered the Order of the Shield. Garuda was the leader and founder of the Order, although they masqueraded as a true Order, unlike the Order of the Shovel. Your Order was well-known and admired. I knew that I would never be a shovel-wielding knight. I had the feeling that they would never accept a young, vagabond orphan like myself"

She paused again; a little redness appeared in her eyes. Little did I know that she was holding back tears.

"So when the Order of the Shield happened to pass into the town I was in at the time, I begged them to let me join. They refused, time and time again, until I told them that I would do anything to prove that I could become one of theirs. After all, they were travellers looking for a home…just like me. Eventually, Garuda allowed me to fight one of his best knights. And I defeated him, quickly and cleanly. Garuda was rid of the man and I took his place. And from that day onward, for quite some time…I've been a member, and the highest skilled member, of the Order of the Shield"

Shield Knight looked at me.

"So I hope you understand things a little more, Shovel Knight. Garuda…loathe as you may be to consider it…he's a good person deep down. He's got so much to be thankful for; he's worked so hard to get to this position. Finally, my fellow soldiers and I have a roof over our heads, and we've all the pressure of the world on our shoulders not to let Pridemoor Keep down. This tough training schedule, the no-excuses mentality…even the one-on-one fighting…we only do it so we can prove our place in the world. We have nowhere else to go, Shovel Knight. Garuda has nowhere else to go. And if it translates to hate, anger and humiliation…then just please know that deep down, the cause is good. To answer your original question, it's not a good life…it's my only life"

She had held back her tears, but Shield Knight was emotional. Her fists were clenched as she told her story to me. Myself? I struggled with the story. Of course it made a lot of sense that the Order of the Shield did what they did to survive. And I would applaud anyone who tried to survive through noble means such as service. But the humiliation I suffered before Garuda and the poisoning event told me that there was more to this than just proving worth.

It clicked into place for me.

It all made sense now!

Of course Garuda would want to come here to survive and prove his worth! He had everything to gain from doing so! A roof over his head, and a lucrative position of the same caliber as Polar Knight! A shiny new office, a desk, his own bed, servants and maids, he would stand to gain everything from this! If he could prove that he belonged here, and that his Order belonged here as well, then it would only be logical to go to every length to prove that. Everything that he had worked so hard for, all his life, would have paid off.

Even if it was at the expense of my own life.


	24. Chapter 24: Shield Knight (Part 2)

Chapter 24: Shield Knight (Part 2)

So that's how it was going to go down, I thought. Garuda was the one who sent the cake; Garuda was responsible for poisoning me. The only other person who I would have suspected was Black Knight, but I wouldn't have put it past that patriotic dolt to successfully pull off the deed. Whether Garuda was also behind the good luck messages, and whether they were all part of his plan, remained a mystery. But the logic didn't lie; it couldn't have been anyone else but Garuda.

Of all people.

I had to contain my shock though. Shield Knight was still in the room with me, having just recounted some of her history to me. I felt closer to her than I ever had before. Considering it was only days ago that she refused to even speak to me, it was a profound moment for me to be able to listen to her history.

I felt I needed to speak with Shield Knight still. There was still so much to discuss.

"…How are you feeling about our upcoming fight?" I asked. Admittedly the question was out of the blue after what Shield Knight had been telling me. But I needed to know what the other side thought. It was the golden, million-dollar question. For all the thoughts and feelings that had been materialised out of this upcoming fight, it was always only half of a picture.

"…I must win it" she said quietly, her eyes refusing to make contact with mine. "I have the pride of the whole Order on my shoulders. I am Garuda's prize knight. I always have been, and I don't intend to let his faith in me be misplaced. I'm sorry…"

"No, don't be" I replied quickly. "I don't expect anything else but your best"

Shield Knight quickly turned to me.

"But Shovel Knight, why are you still insistent on this?" she asked me. "You've been poisoned; it's clear that someone doesn't want you to be around for this fight. And yet you're still going to do it. Why?"

The image of Garuda came into my head again. It could have only been him who poisoned me. Only he had a motive. I was the obstacle that stood between him and everlasting security. A chance at life and a roof under his head, food for years and an opportunity to leave a legacy. I only wished the fool could have known that he could have all this without resorting to such savagery.

"Because after three long weeks of pain and suffering, you think I'll let you win?" I said defiantly, painting Shield Knight with the same brush as all her fellow comrades. "It feels that my very presence is unwanted in these halls. That's why more than ever, I want to stick it to them all. You included"

It was hard not to feel bitter at what had happened to me in the last three weeks or so. And it appeared that Shield Knight understood this, as she offered no objection to my inclusion of her as an enemy to me.

"Then let me ask this" Shield Knight then said, finally making eye contact with me, sending a flutter of nerves through my system. "Why did you refuse to fight me all those days ago? Why did you drop your shovel and walk away?"

I couldn't tell her the truth that I'd fallen in love with her. My desire to have her by my side would be crushed instantly if she knew of my feelings at this tense moment. But what else could I say?

"…Shield Knight…" I started, choosing my words carefully. "I…I'm sorry but I can't tell you exactly why. Not yet. It's not the right time to be discussing those sorts of…feelings"

From the corner of my eye, I noticed that Shield Knight, despite keeping her eyes fixed on mine, was starting to turn slightly red in her cheeks. Was it true that she was…blushing? Regardless, I continued with what I could say. My feelings about the Order of the Shovel were much clearer.

"When you came, it changed so much for me" I revealed to her surprise. "And not just you, but the Order of the Shield. I can understand that you function differently to the Order of the Shovel. Your arrival…opened my eyes, to be completely honest. Perhaps until now I'd been a lot blinder to the aims and ambitions of my very own Order. But when you arrived, I felt personally challenged. I questioned what I stood for. I still question what I stand for. To put it simply…I wondered whether being a knight was, and still is…my true call of order"

"You mean to say…you might leave?" Shield Knight asked. "Then why fight me? After all this?" I so badly wanted to tell her that I couldn't strike her because I was in love with her, but I had to keep it secret. It was true, however, that my feelings for Shield Knight did cast the Order of the Shovel in a new light for me.

"Because I need to know if my heart is still in it" I replied. "I'm very confused about this all. Confused about whether your Order does things differently…or whether in fact my own personal emotions have brought to light the fact that even my Order conducts itself in a way that no longer befits my lifestyle. Your arrival all those weeks ago have made me realise changes in myself, changes which may no longer befit being a knight. But in fighting you…I may finally have a true answer. In fighting you, I may also find out poisoned who me"

Yet another silence followed. Shield Knight dropped her head once again, deep in thought. At times, she rose and opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.

Then she said words that presented her in a new light to me.

"…I've also been questioning myself recently. Shovel Knight" she said. "I've thought so much about you. I didn't want to tell you until after we'd fought…but I have to tell you. Seeing you in this position, and seeing how we've all treated you…" She steadied herself on her chair and looked at me once again, cutting a stronger figure. "I understand that your punishment is necessary. But I can feel your pain somehow. Deep down in my armour…I feel the same pain you feel. When Garuda tells me that I cannot lose to you, and that I carry the pride of my Order...I don't feel as if I've been handed an opportunity, or a chance to become even greater. It feels as if I have been handed an ultimatum. I used to love being in the Order of the Shield. I used to love being the best. But being pitted against you like this…has changed my perceptions as well"

I couldn't say anything, I was speechless. All this time, I believed Shield Knight to be a dutiful, take-no-questions type of knight. To hear her speak as a figure doubtful of her own future…shocked me.

"What is it that I truly stand for?" she continued, trying to make sense of everything that was happening between us. "For years I believed everything the Order of the Shield to be normal. But this event, with your suspension and our fight…it's made _me_ see things in a new light. And it's not only me; other members from both of our Orders have been heard to question their own standing as well"

"What?" I blurted. "You mean to say that the people who have systematically shut me in the darkness…they question as well?" Loathe as I was to believe it, the thought did make me smile inside.

"I cannot be certain" Shield Knight replied. "But we're all buckling somewhat under the intensity of both Garuda and Polar Knight's leadership. It is perhaps because many others are losing their faith. You are constantly made an example of, and it drives a culture of fear amongst us. Well…at least this is what I surmise. It may not be true, but it certainly feels like that's the case"

Unbelievable, I thought to myself. Perhaps I wasn't the only one who thought lowly of how things have gone! Maybe I wasn't alone after all? Perhaps this is why Garuda wished to poison me so? He must have known that my physical presence was causing others to question what would happen to them. This 'culture of fear' brought about by my public example…if I were to somehow be disposed of, my presence would vanish, and I would eventually become a distant memory. Garuda would regain control over his regime of knights and seal his everlasting future with Pridemoor.

It all made too much sense. I wanted to ask Shield Knight about this myself, and the words bubbled in my throat.

I held back again. Not now, I thought. Perhaps once the fight is finished, whoever wins, I could hold that bastard to account. And if other knights were truly in support of me, then I could feasibly challenge Garuda and survive.

"…I still want to know why"

Broken from my trail of thought, I looked to Shield Knight. I could sense the slight blushing, but her face presented sadness.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

"I want to know the true reason why you dropped your shovel to me" Shield Knight asked. "As valid as your opinion is…you told me you couldn't tell me the true reason. I want to know though…what is that true reason?"

"I can't…" I hummed meekly. She couldn't know how I felt for her. Not before we were due to fight for our lives.

"Please Shovel Knight…" she asked firmly. "Please tell me"

I gave no answer. I hoped that she would understand. After a short silence, her brow furrowed with slight anger.

"Very well" she said quickly. "You need to know, however, that I will not let Garuda down. Even if I question my own future…as long as I am officially a knight, I never question my duty. And that duty is to him and my Order. Shovel Knight…no matter how weakened you are from the poison, I will defeat you. It is the only way"

She stood up and started towards the door.

"Shield Knight…" I said quietly. As she opened the door, she stopped suddenly. Her head turned towards me a little.

"Yes?" she asked quietly.

"…Thank you for coming to visit me" I replied. "I'll…see you soon"

There was a final moment of stillness, before she slowly nodded and closed the door behind her. I kept my eyes fixed upon the place where she was just standing. I closed my eyes; I prayed for a future after the fight where everything would be right, no matter what the outcome. Lying back slowly in my bed, I thought about my imminent future.

The biggest fight of my life was coming.

* * *

As Shield Knight walked down the corridor, she put her hand into her pocket and drew out a folded piece of paper. She unfolded it and read it's contents:

"Good luck"

She sighed and put it back in her pocket. She never got the chance to give it to him…but it would have to wait.


	25. Chapter 25: Three Diaries (Part 2)

Chapter 25: Three Diaries (Part 2)

 _ **One day before judgment…**_

* * *

 _I have formally decided that I will do it. I will ask Shield Knight to be my lady at the Pridemoor Ball._

 _Who else would she go with? We have spent so much time together…her radiance can no longer escape my heart. She is beautiful and brave and she carries with her the strength of a thousand horses. I am in Love! The Order of the Shovel's new prize knight is in love! What happy days!_

 _And that fool Shovel Knight…he continued to writhe in that bed of his. Ha! Serves him right! This is all part and parcel of the punishment that a knight must receive for betraying his duty! Why, if I were ever to betray my duty, I would drag myself through a thousand thumbtacks to prove my worth to the Order! Poisoning is what Shovel Knight deserves. Although, in all honesty, I have no idea as to why someone would want to poison the fellow…I admit that on occasion, I do feel sorry for him. His vomit still stains one of the corridors._

 _And I worry that Shield Knight may be falling for him also. To fight through the poison to still challenge her tomorrow…I admit that is a brave move. Of course I would do even more, but I give credit where credit is due. The greatest knight in the realm must also be humble and…credit-giving? Words fail me tonight, it must be the excitement._

 _Yes, tomorrow is the big day! Shovel Knight versus Shield Knight, and this time, there won't be any shovel-dropping from that coward! And Shield Knight will clearly win. I hope that she wins decisively; if Shovel Knight were to put up a powerful fight, she may find that…attractive. But why should it matter? Shovel Knight will be De-Shovelled if he loses! And then Shield Knight won't have to worry about any conflicting feelings: I, Black Knight, will be by her side to wipe away any of her tears. Should she cry any? I can't see why anyone would waste tears on a traitor._

 _For now, I must retire to my bed. I must be fresh tomorrow so I can witness the spectacle unfold, I don't want to miss a beat of this!_

* * *

 _I tire of Black Knight. His company was favourable at first; he made for a great sparring partner and helped very much in developing my skills. I also felt a little something in my heart for him…at first. But in the last few days, especially yesterday, he has been very vocal about his opinions of Shovel Knight._

 _It's a bit childish, really. Saying that I should strike him down with ease, that he's a traitor, that he's getting what he deserves, all while praising my name to high heaven and telling me I'll win easily. Does he not understand the emotional pressure that I am under? That Shovel Knight in under? The staggering lack of compassion he has shown in recent days has been off-putting. It is a shame as well, because I initially saw him to be a very attractive fellow. A peerless knight when it comes to his skill…but his maturity is another story, it seems._

 _I asked one of the maids about Shovel Knight's condition, and it pleased me greatly to know that his recovery has been faster than usual. Two days ago, he was on his feet, and yesterday, he was able to swing his shovel again. I heard he was training lightly for tomorrow. I, on the other hand, decided not to train. I have so much to think about._

 _Shovel Knight…you dastardly person. I should be condemning you. I should be saying that everything you did was wrong. I should have even been the one to poison you and make your life a living hell. So why, when all this does happen, that I feel nothing but conflict in my heart? Why, after everything you've gone through, would you still want to speak to me? Should I not be considered an abomination to you?_

 _Shovel Knight, why don't you hate me?_

 _I'll never know now. But tomorrow is the last day I will treat myself as a knight unflinching to her duty. Following whatever happens, I will be holding my superiors to account over how they have treated Shovel Knight. And should it cost me my place in the Order, then so be it. I'll go be the best in the world somewhere else. The conduct of both of our Orders has been questionable, and I finally have the courage to accept this. No fellow knight should be treated like this for simply showing human emotion._

 _I still don't have the full reason as to why he refused to fight me, but I have a feeling I know. And if it is true…if it's true that his emotions and feelings for me caused him to fail his duty…_

 _No! It can't be! Shovel Knight, in love with me? It's impossible!_

 _All my life, I have never been loved. I never had parents that I could remember to love me. Garuda does not love me, only my skill. The Order of the Shield does not love me either. If anything, they hate me for my womanhood._

 _And how could Shovel Knight love a fool like me? I'm a horrible person. I don't deserve his love. When he needed love himself, I failed to give anything to him. I failed to even acknowledge him. Even recent encounters cannot fix this huge mistake. I do not deserve Shovel Knight's love. I never will, either._

 _I only wish I could be more open to him about everything. I want to erase the last three week and start again. No matter what happens…I want to help him. I want….I want to be with him. Shovel Knight, if only you could hear me!_

 _I promise that once this is all over, I'll do everything I can to make it up to you. The isolation and loneliness you've suffered…I will do everything I can to replace it, if you would let me._

 _Oh, who am I kidding? Shovel Knight wouldn't ever let me do this. I understand completely; I have been so horrible to him._

 _Shovel Knight, if it's true…if you do love me, then please direct your love somewhere more deserving. I deserve nothing._

* * *

 _I cannot keep burning their letters. They know my life's cause is wavering, and stands on the brink of defeat. They know that eventually, I will throw it all away._

 _For months and months they have dogged me, wearing me down with their offers and their enticing promises. Their honeyed words; loathe as I am to fall for them, are breaking me. The life they offer…it feels so much better than the life I lead._

 _I was a fool to accept to lead the Order of the Shovel here at Pridemoor. Garuda was always the better of the two of us when we were mercenaries. He had the heart and the drive to rule a true Order. I did not match his passion, and yet I was selected over him. Seeing him like this now, desperate to prove his place in the world, driving us all into the ground as he does…it is pitiful that I reduced him to such a mess. Especially when he was more deserving of the position I find myself in now._

 _I thought that I could lead our strongest contingent to glory, and serve with honor. I felt I was up to the task. But these five years and more…have worn me down. I am not fit for this type of service, this type of life. Although I have turned a blind eye to my fears, today they stare me in the face. And in these last three weeks, the Order of the Shovel has been thrown into chaos. My superiors will surely be out for my neck once the news of this breaks to them. Do I stay to see out the damage and receive my just desserts? Do I possess that courage to face my leadership failures?_

 _Sadly, I do not._

 _I should have just excommunicated Shovel Knight when I had the chance, but I let my emotions get the better of me. I allowed him to stay, as some reward for a longstanding service that even I cannot believe in anymore. If only I had rid of him sooner, then at least I could have weighed my options. But now he still lives, and is set to challenge Shield Knight. And not only that, but challenge the very foundations of the Order of the Shovel._

 _Not even poison will dent his ambitions._

 _What's worst is that he may be right. Even I am unsure of what we stand for anymore. He is right to challenge our foundations as an Order. His victory will be a victory against the intense pressure that we have placed on our knights for years, and especially so in the last few weeks. His victory will reverse the direction that our Orders have been taking. He desires an Order where the human element is key. I desire this too…but I cannot allow such inconsistency in my thoughts be dictated in my decisions._

 _And while all this happens, they contact me still. I fear I cannot hold out long, the desire to escape this sinking ship grows with every passing day. Indeed, it may only be days now…_


	26. Chapter 26: Judgement Day

Chapter 26: Judgment Day

The morning was filled with nothing but silence.

My judgment day had arrived.

With my best armour equipped and my prize shovel in hand, I stood beside the gateway to the training grounds. I was alone; I could hear that all the soldiers were waiting outside for me to emerge. The air, thick with tension, was warm. The sun shone brightly outside, and not a cloud was in sight. The moment that I turned from behind the gateway and walked out onto the field, there would be no going back.

It was strange to think that it was only just over three weeks ago that I dropped the very shovel I held in my hand today. The contact between this shovel and the ground beneath my feet set off this chain of events. The isolation, my confrontation with Garuda, my poisoning, and my sudden closeness to Shield Knight. The doubt in our Orders.

In the space of three, short weeks, so much had happened.

I took account of my body, and wondered whether there were lingering traces of the poison that could prove crucial to my performance today. My breathing and body function had thankfully returned to normal. But I was unsure whether I could function at a level of high intensity while fighting. Garuda would be pleased if it worked; perhaps he failed to kill me, but he would at least get to see me fail, and be snuffed out of his existence.

At least if I lose, I could call the cur out for the scoundrel he is. If I go down, then he goes down with me.

"This is it…" I thought to myself "No matter what happens, I will be okay. I will be okay…"

And with that, I turned the corner and started my walk out onto the training ground.

Each step felt heavy and encumbered; my heart thudded loudly and my breath felt hard to catch. I could see that my presence had killed off any conversation or training that the other knights were undergoing. They all stood in silence, some half-turned away from me, their eyes fixed upon mine.

I spotted Garuda, standing near the back of the pack, his wrinkled, greying face unchanged as always. His lasting sneer greeted me as I slowly approached the group. If only everybody around him knew the truth of what he did to me…

I also spotted Polar Knight, his tired face and long, white beard standing out amongst the crowd of the Order of the Shovel. His face was not of the same toxic disposition as Garuda; he just looked very tired and depressed. He had even hunched slightly. I felt no pity for him; he was the man who placed me in this position. He endangered my life by placing me on this path of isolation and loneliness.

Black Knight stood beside him, arms crossed, cocky as usual. I spared him no thoughts; he was not worth my time anymore.

And finally, Shield Knight emerged from the crowd of knights who stepped aside. She was the only knight with the honesty to face me directly, rather than stand with their sides and backs facing towards my direction. Her shields were in place and her helmet sat firmly upon her head. She looked very battle-ready. I walked closer and closer, until finally, we were merely feet apart. The crowd of knights started to form a circle around us. I kept my gaze fixed on Shield Knight.

All was silent. A gentle wind blew across the sun-bathed training grounds. Neither Shield Knight nor I moved an inch.

I was ready.

"…Welcome, Shovel Knight" Polar Knight's voice spoke out. I did not turn my head to acknowledge him. Regardless, he continued. "You know what it is that must be done today. The rules are simple: the first knight to be knocked off their feet is declared the winner. That is all; if there are no further questions, the fight may begin"

No words were spoken. Only the gentle wind gave sound to our occasion. I could see the intense focus that Shield Knight possessed. Whatever thoughts of my future I had were now gone; Only one thing mattered, and one thing only.

My judgment.


	27. Chapter 27: Passing Judgement

Chapter 27: Passing Judgment

Instantly, Shield Knight made a lunge for me with a great accompanying yell. I quickly jumped back before she had the time to knock me to the ground. The circle of knights around me started to cheer as the fight had officially begun.

Landing firmly on my feet, I spared no time in lunging straight back at her, my shovel in hand. I swung, and found it blocked by her large shield. I started to throw more swinging strikes at her direction, trying to land horizontal blows to knock her balance. But with every swing, I was met with Shield Knight's large shield. On my final swing, she ducked my shovel, and responded with a thunderous punch to my face. The strike numbed my face immediately and I reeled back.

I kept my footing, but already my fear had set in a little. My fight could have ended then! Steadying my feet, I put aside the dull aching in my face as I thought to my training. Quick strikes are what I needed to try. Lunging back inwards, I tried for a series of stabbing and swinging motions combined. To my surprise, Shield Knight struggled to dodge them with the same ease as she did before. She hopped back at each strike, trying to avoid the sharp end of my shovel blade. My final stab caught the tip of her hand, causing her to recoil. I spotted a chance.

Running fast towards her, I jumped into the air, ready to plunge my shovel down upon her. As expected, she raised her large shield and blocked my attempt. Bouncing off of her, I landed neatly on my feet behind her and prepared for a big swing, hoping it could knock her balance. But as I did, Shield Knight swivelled around and parried the blow with her smaller wrist shield.

Having done so though, she lost her balance. The force of my strike caused her to teeter on one leg. I spotted another chance and tried to barge at her; Shield Knight quickly regained her balance and blocked the strike with her small shield. We were stuck, pushing against each other, battling for balance. Eventually, after we had evenly matched each other's strength, we both pushed off each other with great force. Landing on my feet, I dragged across the floor shortly before coming to a stop.

Already I felt so much stronger and more prepared than I did in our first encounter. My training had paid off; I was wiser to her moves, and faster too. It looked like we were to be more evenly matched this time. A slight hint of frustration could be seen on Shield Knight's face; I knew that she was somewhat rattled by my improvement. The crowd kept cheering and whooping, for Shield Knight, no less.

Shield Knight started to charge at me again, and this time she was striking at me with her small shield. I readied my shovel and blocked each shot she tried to give me with the handle of my shovel, Her strikes were strong, but not enough to throw my balance. Shield knight frantically threw her fastest strikes at me, but I blocked each in succession.

Suddenly, she gripped her large shield with both of her hands. I knew at once that she was going to try and take me out with one large crash of her great shield. I was in striking distance; what could I do?

Without thinking, I swung my shovel straight at Shield Knight, who I suddenly realised was completely vulnerable from trying to execute the cumbersome move. As my shovel struck across her side, she yelped and her swing lost all momentum. She lost no balance, but I tried for another body blow to do just that. Impressively, she rallied with instant speed and parried my blow with her small shield before jumping away from my third strike. I saw the sweat dripping off of her forehead; my armour was also clogged up with sweat.

It was then that my breath started to feel fiery; panic started to rise in my mind. The poison! It hadn't been fully purged from my system!

I found it uncomfortable to breathe, and Shield knight spotted my vulnerability. She leapt into the air and went for me with a kick. Her boot connected with my face (once again), causing me to reel backwards. She followed up with a punch that almost knocked me off my balance. I struggled to keep my feet together and my breathing got more painful. She went for one more punch, but I ducked and swung for her legs. Masterfully, she lifted the leg I had swung for, pivoting on either foot before grabbing her great shield again in the same motion. She was going to strike me again. With as much might as I could muster, despite the great pain in my jaw and lungs, I jumped just as she swung. The powerful air that passed with her shield shot through my helmet. A mere inch closed and she could have taken my whole body to the ground with her thunderous strike.

I stumbled back and clutched my chest; the crowd started to chant for my blood. Things were not going well. The poison hadn't gotten any worse, but the very fact that I could feel its remnants burning my breath was distracting me from the fight. Fear for my safety regained over tactical decisions about fighting. Shield Knight, who was still gathering herself from her great swing, slowly turned to see me clutching my chest. I noticed that for a moment, she sported a look of worry.

It didn't last. She started to charge at me again. I ducked the mighty swing of her wrist shield and blocked the second, but I noticed to my horror that my strength had reduced somewhat. Was the poison now taking my strength away from me? Upon blocking a third, I felt the momentum of her swing go deeper than before. Things were getting troubling. I jumped away and tried to rally my thoughts.

What was I going to do? We were evenly matched in the beginning, but the signs were now starting to show that Shield Knight was gaining the upper hand in our fight. I needed to think, and quickly. If I couldn't outmatch her in strength, then what could I out match her in?

I had a brainwave, but not before Shield Knight begun yet another charge. I doubted that I would be able to stay on my feet after another charge; I had one chance to save myself.

Quickly, I buried my shovel blade into the ground. Just as Shield Knight was about to throw her charging punch at me. I quickly ducked her punch and swivelled out of her way, the ensuing swivel ripping a small chunk out of the ground. I prayed my gambit worked, otherwise our closeness granted Shield Knight a chance at a killing blow.

The gambit worked. I watched almost with glee as Shield Knight's foot fell into the small pothole left where I'd taken the ground out. She tripped, and yelping, she stumbled ahead of me, trying to stay on her feet. Quickly, I recovered from my large duck and ran towards her as she stumbled. Burying my shovel in the ground again, I used it like a mini pole vault, using it as a way of being able to fire both my feet at Shield Knight. As she turned around, recovered from her stumble, my feet connected to her chest and face with great force.

Such force, it actually flung her into the air. I was in awe as I landed on my feet, watching as she was sent skyward towards the knights that formed the edge of the 'arena'.

I was in even more awe as I watched her flip in the air, land on her free hand, and fling herself back onto her feet. The crowd screamed in adulation for the move she had just performed. Even I was shocked that my hardest move thus far had been dealt with in style.

However Shield Knight was now bleeding from her forehead, a cut dealt from the sharp end of my metal boots when I struck her head. I hoped that I hadn't hurt her too much, but judging by how angry she looked, I didn't have much time to feel pity. Instantly, she charged at me, and we clashed weapons again, struggling against each other.

For a while, we battled against each other's strength, trying to gain the upper hand. Amidst it all, to my surprise, Shield Knight started to speak:

"Give up, Shovel Knight!" she yelled. "Just give up already!"

There was desperation in her voice that I could sense. I, too, felt desperate. My lungs were burning up from the poison remnants and my legs were beginning to feel weak. I was nearing the end of my strength and ability. And it started to show; my legs and core started to buckle under Shield Knight's amazing strength. My legs bent, and i was forced to engage my back to try and fight against her push. My balance started to go, and i struggled badly in keeping it. Shield Knight was determined to push me to the brink.

At that moment, i started to see something in Shield Knight's eyes. She conveyed anger and intent in a way that was about to buckle and finish me for good, but here eyes showed me something else through the blood.

I saw sadness.

Sadness, perhaps, that we were forced to fight like this, like dogs, just to prove a point. Sadness, perhaps, that everything we'd dedicated our lives to fighting for was not what it seemed. Sadness, perhaps, that maybe our friendship was being snuffed out, being rejected by everyone around us who chanted for violence, and by our superiors. Sadness, perhaps, for the simple concept of being a victim of oppression.

I felt that sadness too. And from it, I felt a burning rage ignite inside me. A rage towards the world and all its people, for having ever placed me in a situation like this. Despite my muscles shaking madly to maintain my frame, I started to dig much deeper than I ever had before. Before I knew it, I started screaming loudly, much to Shield Knight's surprise. The adrenaline blocked all my pain, and I straightened out my legs, shifting the balance of our struggle. Before long, I was pushing harder and harder, and it was Shield Knight who had begun to buckle. Panic swept across her own face, and she grimaced as she tried to contain my fury.

Suddenly, she jumped away, almost pushed by the force I'd been unloading on her. She struggled profoundly to contain her balance, teetering on one foot for a second, before she firmly planted her free foot into the ground. She shook her head and wiped as much of the blood as she could from her brow. Her anger had returned. Meanwhile I stood, somewhat triumphantly, as for once in the fight, it was I who had the upper hand.

Shield Knight stood up slowly.

"H-how?" she muttered to herself, just within my earshot. "Only three weeks of training…and he was poisoned…how is he still standing? Why has he become…s-so hard to beat?"

She didn't know the pain I was in, having had a chance to breathe. It hurt more than ever now, and i buckled slightly from trying to contain the pain. The muscles in my legs and arms were stiff and restricted from the sheer exertion I'd unloaded in the struggle. My head spun from the early punches. I also could taste blood in my mouth for the first time, possibly from earlier. It was only when I looked down at my breastplate and seen streak of red shooting down it, that I had been bleeding more from my mouth than I previously thought as it seeped out of my helmet. I felt a little sick, but focused my weary gaze on Shield Knight, who seemed to be ready for another run.

But she grimaced as she readied herself.

"W-why won't you just go down?" she pleaded to me.

"I'm sorry" was all I could say back. "I can't lose, Shield Knight. Please…understand this"

"No!" she yelled suddenly, gathering her strength. "I must win! My Order depends on me! Shovel Knight, taste justice!"

And with that, she ran at me. I spat out the last of the blood that had pooled in my mouth, preparing my aching body to swing again. As she neared, I swung for her, but she leapt in the air. I quickly looked up; Shield Knight had one last trick up her sleeve., In the air, she detached herself from her great shield and threw it down on me. The sheer weight of it collided with me, and I almost became flattened under it, ensuring my defeat. I yelled and stumbled forward as the great shield crashed down on me. I felt something twinge in my left shoulder and I screamed in pain; I started to fall forwards.

As the shield rolled off of me, I made a last ditch attempt to stay on my feet. My shovel in my now good arm, I pitched into the ground and used it to hold onto, trying to keep my feet on the floor. My body wracked with agony as I forced it to stiffen to stop me flopping to the floor. Scrambling, I somehow got gravity back on my feet again and pulled my shovel out of the ground.

Meanwhile, Shield Knight had flipped multiple times in the air before landing in front of me, now without her great shield. She had one final surprise it seemed, as she quickly turned at me. With one powerful screech, she swung her wrist shield and it detached, hurtling directly towards me.

I knew I was done. The small shield sped towards me, I yelped and just swung my shovel in any direction, shielding my face with my arms. The speed was enough to kill me if it connected.

A great clashing sound shot through the air and i felt a jolt in my right arm. My hand stayed firmly on my shovel handle, but as I opened my eyes, I saw the wrist shield hurtling off into the distance, outside of the arena. Shield Knight's great shield was lying behind me, unmoved from where it rolled off.

And Shield Knight now stood in front of me, barely able to stand, completely and utterly disarmed. I raised my shovel and held it with both hands, ready for a final strike if I needed it.

I had her on the brink of defeat,.


	28. Chapter 28: A Knight's Confession

Chapter 28: A Knight's Confession

We stood off, panting and gasping for air. The crowd of knights around us had fallen into a small silence, with some whispering about what was to come. Nobody could hardly believe that before, the knight who Shield Knight had disposed of so easily, now had her on the edge of defeat. A true tale of redemption had been played out before their eyes, and all it needed was one more finishing strike to end the story. Shield Knight had no weapons on her, her final trick had failed and she had no choice but to advance into the path of my shovel.

But Shield Knight did not advance. She stood, looking defeated and deflated, trying to think her way past me. But even she knew that there was very little hope of collection her great shield from me. He small shield was nowhere to be seen.

Through the pain, I stood firm. The calm had allowed me to regain some of my feelings. The poison was felt burning once more, but I could now overcome it with ease. I thought deeply about what was to come next.

"Shield Knight…I know you won't surrender" I spoke to her, telling her the words directly form my heart. "But please, I don't want to do this to you. I don't want to strike you down so heartlessly"

"Fool!" Shield Knight replied, her face filling with frustration and anger. "I will defeat you! I don't care how…ah!"

Shield Knight buckled, holding her chest where I had kicked her earlier. It was clear that it wasn't only me who was feeling the pain of the fight. Steadying herself, she tried to speak again, but even I knew she was facing a losing battle.

"Please Shield Knight!" I begged to her. "Forget what these fools have taught you…there's no shame in surrender"

"No!" she protested amidst gasps from the crowd. But her protestations seemed weaker than before. "No…" she repeated, but her desperation seemed clearer than ever.

I knew she wanted to give up. She didn't want to put herself through this, and yet her duty forced her too. The result was unimaginably painful for Shield knight to bear, and it was all on display. I tried to calm her down.

"Shield Knight, I don't want you to be hurt anymore" I called across to her. "…Do you want to know why?"

"W-what?" Shield Knight panted. "What are you talking about?"

"Do you want to know why I dropped my shovel to you on that day?" I said to her. My nerves were reaching a state were they could not be controlled much longer, but I held firm. At this moment, nothing much else mattered. We'd been through enough together; if she knew this, then maybe she would do the right thing.

"Shield Knight, I did it because…"

Stop!" Shield Knight spat. "I don't want to hear you try and protest me out of this! I must…I must win…"

I had to tell her.

"…Shield Knight, the reason I dropped my shovel to you was because I couldn't bear to hurt you. I'm in love with you, Shield Knight"

* * *

Shield Knight's face contorted from one of anger to one of confusion.

"Y-you…what?" she yelled.

"I don't know why" I continued. "But what I feel in my heart matters to me. I can't bear to hurt you, and today it hurts to know that I've caused you pain. But I know your mind is set…"

I readied my shovel for the final blow.

"I'm in love with you…" I repeated, in disbelief that I was revealing such a fact out loud. My voice was reducing to a quivering whisper, in disbelief of myself. "I just hope that no matter what happens after this, we can still be friends"

Shield Knight yelled and started towards me. She made a run for her shield, and I raised my shovel.

She failed to reach her shield.

As my shovel struck her chest, she fell back, her balance completely lost.

She landed on her back. The crowd fell completely silent.

I had won the fight.

* * *

As soon as she fell, I felt my emotions bubble out of me. My shovel fell out of my hand and I fell to my knees, trying to hold back my tears. I held my head, in some silly attempt to stop it from whirling. I couldn't believe what I had done; I had earned my freedom, but at such a painful, forced price. I watched as Shield Knight struggled onto her feet. As she did, she wiped the tears from her own eyes. She threw a glance at me, her face twisted in bitterness and grief.

As she managed to carry her suddenly heavy frame beneath her weary feet, Shield Knight begun to walk away slowly, limping through the shocked crowd of knights who had just witnessed their star fighter fall to the 'traitor'. I also watched, my heart painfully beating, as she walked in defeat out of the circle and back to the dressing rooms of the castle. The last I saw of her was her lowly hung head.

She had no reason to feel shame. Only the people around her deserved the shame for placing her in this position to begin with. And for placing me here as well…I wanted them all to pay so, so much. They all stared, like children at a carnival.

It was pathetic.

I got to my feet and turned to both Polar Knight and Garuda. Polar Knight remained expressionless, his head turned to where Shield Knight had walked away. Garuda's face was one of shock. I stepped up to the two of them, knowing that I had proved them wrong.

"H-how?" Garuda muttered as I approached him. "My best knight…beaten so decisively!"

Polar Knight noticed my approach and turned to me as I stopped.

"S-Shovel Knight…" he stuttered; even he was somewhat shocked at the outcome. "…Congratulations on your victory. You have earned your place back in the Order of the Shovel…should you wish to keep it, of course" He knew that I had the option to throw him and the Order into the dust if I so wished.

But I wouldn't. Despite it all, I'd known from the start that I couldn't leave something I had dedicated so much of my life to. The Order of the Shovel **was** my life, after all.

I just hoped that now, I had proved an essential point about our way of life.

"…I accept to stay" I said quietly. "But your friend's little gambit didn't pay off; I think you need to turn your investigation into my assassination attempt elsewhere" Meanwhile, I gestured to Garuda, clearly communicating the hint. Garuda looked incredibly shocked and displeased at my insinuation and protested immediately. Another round of gasps made their way around the knights.

"What!" he yelled. "Have you lost your mind?"

"Shovel Knight!" Polar Knight responded, also shocked at my accusation. "You don't mean to say that Garuda…"

"Make of it what you will" I spoke firmly, knowing that I was in the position of power now. I turned to Garuda. "I just want you to know that you disgust me, Garuda. You treated me like scum and you treated Shield Knight as a pawn in your pathetic little game. And you could have secured your future here, had you only used a little decency. Instead, you try to wipe me out of sight and out of mind. Awful. I hope you hang, Garuda"

I turned my back to the two of them.

"I begin my duties again once I have fully healed" I instructed as I started to walk away. "And just remember the lesson you've all learned today: there is more to a knight than their duty. Their dignity is just as important"

And with that, I left them all behind and walked back into the castle, a new dawn rising over my life as a knight.


	29. Chapter 29: Friendship (Part 1)

Chapter 29: Friendship (Part 1)

Two days had passed since my fight. As soon as I was back inside, I collapsed again, but this time out of exhaustion. It seemed maids and surgeons had been watching the fight from inside and were ready to help the victor. I had no time to think; upon seeing them, I submitted myself to their care.

It transpired that I had only suffered minor injuries from the fight, although they certainly hurt a lot more at the time. The large shield that struck me caused a twinge in my shoulder, but nothing more. The bleeding in my mouth? One of Shield Knight's punches was so hard that it caused my teeth to bite down and accidentally lacerate the inside of my cheeks. Hence the heavy bleeding. Thankfully my teeth were all intact. And I luckily escaped the battle only with muscle soreness, rather than any severe breaks or damage. My prognosis was that I was to have one week of rest, before I could fully return to service.

Polar Knight did not investigate Garuda's attempt to kill me; it seemed that my comments were brushed as some harsh criticism. Still, I suffered no penalties; I received a somewhat grovelling letter from Polar Knight excusing me for all I had to say, as well as voicing his pleasure to welcome me back to the line of service.

Most importantly, no more one-on-one fights and no more triumphalism. We were knights that had a duty…but Garuda would not be taking that for granted anymore.

I suppose I would have to let the poisoning slide somewhat. I'll never forget what Garuda did to me, but the humbling he suffered in the wake of my victory gave me more satisfaction than I could ever know. It felt great putting that giant fool to heel. But now, once my recovery period had passed, things would return to normal.

And guess who sent the good luck messages? It was the knights of the Order of the Shield! I never knew that they could have been capable! After my fight, they all came to me, one by one, apologising for the way they had treated me under Garuda's command and explaining how they all secretly sent the good luck messages on their night shifts, far away from Garuda's eyes. It was an incredibly warm feeling to know that these knights were prepared to befriend me after such a trying time. The knights of my own Order also apologised to me, and begged for my forgiveness.

I couldn't resist but forgive them. I knew that I didn't ever want to return to the life of isolation…and I didn't want any remnant of that life to remain either. Besides, it was pretty funny to see how apologetic they had become. People, eh? The only person who didn't come to apologise was Black Knight, however. He had shown his true colours as a complete baby, and many knights now seemed to view him in a skeptical light. Skilled as he was for a knight, his devotion to his account of the whole ordeal was a matter of comical relief amongst us. Stubborn ol' Black Knight was what he was called. In my heart, I forgave him as well. He didn't truly hate me; he only had a one-track mind that couldn't see outside of his own duty.

So what happened to Shield Knight? To put it shortly, I don't know. All I do know is that she is being treated for her injuries. She wishes to see no one. Not even me. An air of worry fills the air whenever she is now mentioned in conversation.

The thought of her being in pain was not a nice thought for me. I still held firm to my belief of starting over with her, in the hopes that a better future lay ahead for us.

So I decided to go and try to seek an audience with her.


	30. Chapter 30: Friendship (Part 2)

Chapter 30: Friendship (Part 2)

"You may see her now"

I had been sitting in the castle infirmary for almost an hour, waiting for the nurse to approve my visit of Shield Knight. Prior to that call, I sat nervously in my chair; the only other person in the waiting room was the janitor who would occasionally come in and brush the floors up. I thought heavily about the words I spoke to Shield Knight before I tragically, and regretfully, struck her down.

"I'm in love with you…" I hummed to myself, echoing my words from before. It had now been two whole days since that battle had passed. I had not seen Shield Knight once. Recovering from my own injuries (my face was now fine, thankfully, even though I always wear my helmet) took some time, and I had thought about visiting her sooner. But I'm sure that she wouldn't have wanted to see me straight away.

After all, she must have been going through a horrible time.

I had defeated her cleanly in front of all her superiors and colleagues. I had no choice, and I always maintained that I didn't want things to go down the way they did. But they did. I fought for change and my own place in the Order of the Shovel.

I resolved now to fight harder to defend any injustice Shield Knight may have faced from the result. Partly because it was unfair; she had also been dragged into this whole drama, and somebody had to lose.

But also partly because every time I thought of her, my heart swelled with nervous tension and my head went light.

I still couldn't believe that I'd fallen for Shield Knight. And with our battle over, I started to think about another important date, five days from now, that would decide how Shield Knight and I would be going forward into the future.

The Pridemoor Ball.

As soon as I turned the door, I saw her. Shield Knight was propped up in a hospital bed, sat up, dressed in a hospital gown. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail and she sat there, looking relatively healthy, a few scratches on her face the only sign of visible injury. It was clear from the softness of her face that she had been subject to a rare face wash, not something knights were privy to.

She looked absolutely pristine. As she looked at me, my heart tinged with another wave of nerves. My legs wobbled as I stood at the door, staring at her. She looked beautiful.

As was usual with us by this point, we stood with a gap of silence between us. Perhaps one day there wouldn't be this awkwardness anymore.

"…Hello" I said eventually.

"Hello, Shovel Knight" Shield knight replied. That low voice that she spoke with…it now seemed irresistible to me. "Would you like to come in?"

I nodded, and gathering my courage, I made my way to the seat that was beside her bed. Sitting down, I prepared my conversation questions; any further silences would risk breaking my nerve, turning me into a blubbery mess. Not good if you want to continue to impress someone.

"How have you been recovering?" I asked.

"Well" Shield Knight responded swiftly. "Luckily no bones were broken. Bruises, scratches, aches…but nothing that I cannot overcome with ease"

"That's good to hear" I replied. I quickly shot a glance at the floor, thinking of my next line. I wanted to ask her how she was coping after the fight, but was asking such a question so soon such a good idea?

"…You want to ask me how I am, don't you?" Shield Knight said suddenly. I jolted.

"How did you know I was thinking that?" I asked. Shield Knight spat out a single chuckle.

"Hah! What else are you here for?" she said to me. "For a nice game of bingo? Of course you're here to ask me about our fight"

Sighing, I sat back in my chair, selecting my words carefully. "Well…I guess I may as well as you then. How have you been feeling about the whole thing?" I had not forgotten what I had said to her; part of me was hoping that she would have forgotten.

Shield Knight breathed and sighed heavily as she herself selected her words. This couldn't have been easy, I thought to myself. Of course my defeat had far rougher consequences, but defeat was always a bitter pill to swallow.

Eventually, Shield Knight turned to look at me.

"It hurts, Shovel Knight" she said to me, frankly. "Not just physically. It doesn't help that I'm cooped up here in this bed, feeling as helpless as ever" Emotion was cracking in her voice, and for a moment i spotted her eyes beginning to redden. "God, what must everyone be thinking?"

"Shield Knight, I know it's not easy…" I started.

"How could you know how this feels?" Shield Knight retorted at me, piercing me with her stare.

"Shield Knight, don't forget what I went through to get here" I retorted back. "I'm sorry that things turned out the way they did and that we were pitted against each other like dogs. But there wouldn't have been any cleaner resolution to this. I was in the midst of a personal crisis with my immediate future at stake. At least here, you can continue the normal life once you're out"

It felt strange to be standing my ground against Shield Knight. Loathe as I am to admit, my victory did make me feel so much more powerful as a person. I felt as if I commanded so much more respect than I used to. Abusing that respect was not my purpose, but I was sensitive to attacks now. Standing up for myself felt good.

Regardless, Shield Knight continued, her eyes more red and glistening, her voice quivering.

"But I used to get so much respect…" she said. "But now, once I leave, I'll be seen as a minnow"

"What makes you think that?" I asked her.

"Because I lost!" she replied, thumping her bed with her fists, her frustration rising. "I lost and I disgraced my Order…my colleagues will never see me the same"

"Shield Knight, it's not gonna be like that any more!" I spoke to her, leaning across to her from my chair. "When I beat you, I didn't do it to put you down. I did it to stand up in the face of the dog-eat-dog culture that was quickly developing amongst us! From now on, I'm gonna make sure that people treat each other with more respect, regardless of how good they are at being a knight"

Shield Knight breathed with a frenzied pace, driven by her emotion, her eyes fixed to her knees under the blanket.

"B-But Shovel Knight…" Shield Knight started. "…How will I ever be able to prove my strength again, knowing that I can be defeated?"

"Shield Knight, stop it" I said to her firmly. "Just stop breathing so quickly, you're panicking. Listen to me"

Her breathing slowed slightly and she turned to look at me. I took hold of her hand and noticed that they were slightly moist with tears. They were also trickling down her face as well.

"Shield Knight…what determines your strength is not how many times you get knocked down, but how many times you get back up" I told her, drawing deep from the pain that had haunted me for weeks. "Sure, right now you're down and out. You've been stuck in a hospital bed and for most, it doesn't look like you're strong at all. But just imagine what they're gonna think when they see you the next day, performing your duties, being just as strong as you were before. Heck, you might be even stronger; what doesn't kill you, right?"

My words seemed to be getting through to her. The tears were fewer and further between. Her breathing was back to normal. All through it, she kept her eyes on me.

"Trust me Shield Knight" I continued. "I've been through the grinder in the last few weeks, and deep down, there's a small part of me that still worries about being subjugated and undermined. I'm trying so much harder to convince myself that I'm worth more than what people treated me before. You have to do that too. You were forced to fight me, and you lost. But that's no reflection on you as a person or a knight. That small part inside of yourself that's telling you you're not worth it…it's up to you to decide whether that part remains small or not. And I have confidence in you, Shield Knight. You're an incredibly strong person, and once you overcome this, you'll know it too. Do you understand?"

Shield knight looked down to our hands, still placed one on top of the other. Taking a deep breath, she let it sift out through her lips. Wiping her eye with her other hand, she looked back up at me.

"I understand" she uttered, nodding. "…I-I'm gonna get through this"

I let go of her hand; I knew I had a patrol coming up soon and needed to get myself ready.

"I have to go" I said slowly. "I don't need to ask you if you're going to be okay, do I?"

"There's one more thing…" Shield knight asked as I was standing up. "You told me during the fight that…you were…um…"

It hit me what she was about to say: that comment I made! I suddenly remembered about the Pridemoor Ball! During my small speech, I had completely forgotten about it. Instantly, my legs turned to jelly; the nerves were back in force.

"Uh…yeah" I mumbled, trying to keep my cool. I knew that I was in love with her, she dominated my mind and thoughts every day at this point. I thought of her everyday. But it just felt…

…So embarrassing. That I would feel like such a puppy for someone. It went in the face of bravery and chivalry. I'd easily march into an army and fight until my last breath. Yet when confronted with love, I crumbled.

"…Did you mean it?" Shield Knight asked suddenly. She may have won the physical fight, but she had skewered me like a kebab right then and there. What was I supposed to say? A future romance hung in the balance upon my words!

"Ooh…er…" I groaned, trying to conjure some sort of answer. "I…er…ah hah…yes. Ah!"

I didn't mean to say yes like that, but there we go. It was out. I almost clasped my hands to my mouth; my arms froze up. Along with the rest of me, as I struggled to even take my next step out of the room. My heart thumped like mad.

Shield Knight blushed a little bit. I felt heavy sweat upon my forehead as she opened her mouth to answer. Why, oh why, did it feel like I was staring at the tip of a crossbow?

"…Okay" she replied.

"Okay" I replied quickly. "G-goodbye!"

And with an awkward turn, I marched out of the room.

Okay? What did that mean? I wracked my brain with thoughts as I stumbled down the corridor away from her room, dazed and confused. 'Okay', she said. Not a refusal, but no confirmation either. In a sense, things couldn't have gotten worse. There was no definitive ending to this; I didn't even ask her about the Pridemoor Ball!

I sighed and recollected my thoughts. I also readjusted my helmet, which jarred during my awkward walk out of Shield Knight's room. There were still a few days left until the Pridemoor Ball. Asking her face-to-face was going to take some bravery, so I started to think about other ways to drop the hint.

I wanted to dance with her at the ball. A chance for romance was finally here, after all the pain and sorrow of the last few weeks. This was an internal battle worth fighting for in my mind. Garuda was no longer my enemy now; unrequited love was. As I headed to my patrol, I could not keep my mind off the coming days and what they would hold.


	31. Chapter 31: Back at the Inn

Chapter 31: Back at the Inn

"So everything is back to normal now? That's wonderful news!"

The following evening after seeing Shield Knight, I had decided to celebrate my evening off by going back to the Inn of Pride. It had been on my mind to visit the bartender again and catch up; especially after the good pick-me-up he had given me from our previous encounter. Once again, I was propped up at the bar, conversing the night away.

Except this time, I wasn't in a bad fix. Things were finally going well for me, and my good posture at the side of the bar reflected this. Or at least that's what I'd like to think.

"Thank you, my good man" I replied to the rotund, moustachioed barkeeper.

"I knew you could do it" the bartender replied to me in his jolly voice. "You'd been through a lot, but you showed a great deal of spirit and courage. People now ought to think twice before they mess with you again!"

We both chuckled, myself humbled by the compliment. I swigged another sip of my ale; its sweet tones had never tasted sweeter.

There was something that I wanted to ask the bartender. Under normal circumstances, the very thought of speaking about Shield Knight would send waves of nervous energy pulsing through my every sinew. But here, at the Inn of Pride, such nervous energy was easily dissipated. The pub was bustling, the music good, the energy positive; I felt now was a good time to discuss a certain matter with the bartender.

"…So, in a few days, Pridemoor Keep's going to be holding a ball" I spoke to the barman.

"Ah yes" the bartender replied. "The Pridemoor Ball, is it not? The entire village will be celebrating as well; it's good that the king is throwing us all a party!"

"Well…as you know, I need a date" I said to him. As I spoke, I felt my heart go light, like a feather on ocean waves. So much for the atmosphere. The bartender gave me a knowing stare.

"Ah yes, that is correct" he said. "I suppose you'll be wanting to try your chances with Shield Knight, am I correct?"

I nodded in response. "That's right; I need your advice. How do you approach someone to ask them for a date like this?"

The bartender stood silently for a moment, pondering the question.

"…Well, I suppose you just ask, right?" he answered.

Of course just asking her would be the cordial thing to do. But my heart felt uneasy at the prospect. Shield Knight knew how I felt about her. She knew that I was in love with her. And yet, here we were, not together. I knew that we hadn't barely spent enough time in each other's company as friends or even acquaintances, what with everything that had happened to me in the last few weeks. Now the air was clear, I had to ask.

I just wish I had more time though. Time to nurture a slow growing bond; time to get to truly know Shield Knight better, and for her to get to know me better.

"You look troubled" the bartender said, snapping me out of my trail of thought. Jarred, I quickly shot a glance up towards his concerned face, before breathing a weary sigh.

"It's alright" I said slowly. But the bartender continued to look at me.

"You're scared she's going to say no, aren't you?" he said to me.

This bartender sure knew how to read my mind. He'd reached the conclusion before I even managed it.

"…Yes" I said quietly. "It is scary; we've been through so much! If it just finished like that, then…then it would just be an anti-climax, if anything"

The bartender started to laugh as soon as I finished my sentence.

"Oh, my boy, you've nothing to worry about" he guffawed. "You two have been through a lot together! Listen, I have a little advice for you. Something for you to think about when you ask her to be your date for the ball"

I turned on my chair and tuned my ears in. Any good advice would be very welcome.

"Just be yourself" he said to me. "And, like the kids say, play it cool. I'm not trying to say you'll be unsuccessful, but if things don't quite go your way, it's all right! You'll know what I mean in time"

It wasn't the advice I was expecting, nor the advice I particularly wanted to hear. I would have rather the bartender give me a tip on how to handle my shovel in an gentlemanly and attractive way, or the best way to open a conversation that broaches the social agreement of a dance. Regardless, I nodded quietly; just to make sure that my bond with the bartender didn't become sullied.

Hours passed, and after much more ale consumption, I found myself back in my room at the castle, staring at the familiar ceiling. The Pridemoor Ball was closing in, and I needed to pick the right time to ask her.

I had a brainwave that night.

I would ask her at the very ball itself.

Much better than agonising over a rejection days before the ball, I figured that if I asked her at the ball, she would perhaps take my hand and we would go to dance in the grand hall of the castle, whilst romantic music played. I shivered as the butterflies started to build in my stomach; our dance was a scene most imaginable. After all, if nobody was dancing with her at the ball itself, then it would be clear that she had not been asked! And in a slightly nasty way, perhaps her loss to me has resulted in some social fall of grace. Perhaps making my chances all the better?

And what if the opposite happened and she were to refuse. I dreaded to think of that outcome, and quickly whisked myself away to sleep before I could ponder such a thing any longer.


End file.
